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The Treasure House: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26In this tender-hearted slow-burn romance, a single mom's fixer-upper may also open a new door to love—from the award-winning author of Someone Else's Bucket List.
Zoe Copeland and her daughter Florence need a new start. The only problem is she can’t really afford one. . .
So when Zoe stumbles across a listing for a charming cottage in Maine that is in their price range, she has no choice but to seize the opportunity. The catch? It’s a treasure house—filled to the brim with junk, and being sold as is.
Eight-year-old Florence, who’s always longed for a room of her own, loves the old house full of cat figurines and other people’s memories, but Zoe is daunted by the mess and the cost of fixing the place up. Her grumpy new neighbor, Jake, thinks she’s crazy for undertaking this task—though that doesn’t stop him from lending a hand, and it’s not long before Zoe starts daydreaming about the handsome handyman.
As the air turns crisp and fall sets in, Zoe becomes increasingly intrigued by the woman who lived there before them. Who was Marly, and how did her beloved home end up in such disrepair? As she digs for more information, Zoe can’t help but draw parallels between herself and Marly . . . but what does it say about her future if she’s still stuck in the past?
This was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to give Florence the security she never had. But as Zoe uncovers Marly’s secrets and her own past comes crashing into the present, Zoe’s life is quickly becoming even messier than the coastal house she’s renovating. With her heart and her home on the line, can Zoe put all of the broken pieces of her life back together?
Zoe Copeland and her daughter Florence need a new start. The only problem is she can’t really afford one. . .
So when Zoe stumbles across a listing for a charming cottage in Maine that is in their price range, she has no choice but to seize the opportunity. The catch? It’s a treasure house—filled to the brim with junk, and being sold as is.
Eight-year-old Florence, who’s always longed for a room of her own, loves the old house full of cat figurines and other people’s memories, but Zoe is daunted by the mess and the cost of fixing the place up. Her grumpy new neighbor, Jake, thinks she’s crazy for undertaking this task—though that doesn’t stop him from lending a hand, and it’s not long before Zoe starts daydreaming about the handsome handyman.
As the air turns crisp and fall sets in, Zoe becomes increasingly intrigued by the woman who lived there before them. Who was Marly, and how did her beloved home end up in such disrepair? As she digs for more information, Zoe can’t help but draw parallels between herself and Marly . . . but what does it say about her future if she’s still stuck in the past?
This was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to give Florence the security she never had. But as Zoe uncovers Marly’s secrets and her own past comes crashing into the present, Zoe’s life is quickly becoming even messier than the coastal house she’s renovating. With her heart and her home on the line, can Zoe put all of the broken pieces of her life back together?
Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 1, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THIS IS AN ADVANCED READING COPY FROM NETGALLEY: due to be released to the public on September 1, 2026.
*This is one of the loveliest books I’ve read in a long time.*
Zoe, a single mother to Florence, “Flo”, works as a medical receptionist and is living in a large city with even larger rents. She shares a one bedroom with two twin beds with her daughter, who’s a pre-teen and it’s not exactly the life she wanted for her daughter. Zoe’s Dad, Tim had tried to live with them for roughly 10 months but was relieved to move out back onto campus where he and Zoe had been living prior to her pregnancy. She dropped out of her Junior year of college and got a job full time so that Tim could continue with school. When he graduated, he moved to Seattle on the other side of the country with his fiancé.
One day while on her lunch break with her colleagues, Zoe was looking at homes on a real estate as she typically did to pass the time. She would find her dream homes and imagine what it would be like to own one. Her colleague introduced her to “treasure homes”. These were homes that were full of junk, a previous hoarder would have lived there and these homes were being sold for song. At first Zoe thought this was a crazy idea until she found a darling old home in Oxeye, Maine that was a walk to the beach with a view of the ocean from the home. She decided to do something impulsive for once in her carefully structured life and had contacted the bank and bought the house.
Having grown up with an extreme addict, her mother was frequently in and out of jail. She was a prostitute and a horrific addict who Zoe watched OD several times. She was often left alone, rarely with food and the men her mother brought into their lives were as terrifying as she was and also addicts, She had gone through phases of drugs she would get herself addicted to, meth, cocaine, oxy and naturally alcohol. Meth was the worst drug for Zoe because her mother became so erratic and would be awake for days hallucinating and verbally abusive as well as emotionally mentally and physically negligent. The last time her mother was sent to jail and Zoe was put into another foster was when Zoe wrote a paper describing her vacation. She wrote about trying to make a box of Mac n cheese last for days. This would be her saving grace, as she would end up at Suni and Wayne’s house. The Overbecks had a daughter Ali and a son Lance and had taken in other foster kids as well. They’re foster child and Zoe’s foster sister Bethany had passed away that year and it was their first year without her. They’d all grieved the loss. Zoe had been loved by this family since she was 13 and they loved Flo as if she were their blood relation and granddaughter. They treated Zoe and Flo exactly as they had their own children and Zoe had their love and affection as one of the many reasons she has turned into the woman and mother she was. Her own mother Tina was still in jail for prostitution and possession. She wrote to Zoe, addressing it to the Overbecks because Zoe had wanted nothing to do with Tina nor did she visit her or want her to know where she lived. Tina didn’t even know about Flo. She’d planned to keep it that way.
Once she and Flo got to Oxeye, the hardware store owner was who she had been in contact with while the sale and purchase went through. She went down to the store that was a few doors down from their overflowing “treasure” house to get their keys. When Zoe laid eyes on Jake she had a real hard time removing them. He was not what she had pictured. He didn’t look like a nearly retired middle aged man with a belly. He was more of a six pack, muscular gorgeous specimen of a male who was her age or close to it. Everyone they met in their small little beach town was so friendly and extremely helpful it didn’t take long at all for Zoe and Flo to become close them all. Jake was especially helpful even if he was quite grumpy. But as time went on Zoe would learn the reason for his emotional ups and downs and we will learn, as readers the history of the home and how very loved it was,
The author interweaves in and out of present day with Zoe and Flo living there and from the 1950’s up until it is purchased by Zoe. The Orcutt family originally owned the home, the sisters, Betty and Sylvia’s parents had left the house to them. The two sisters, their children and their husbands spent their entire summers there. The husbands usually worked during the week back home and mainly spent their weekends in Oxeye with the exception of the few weeks they’d take vacation time. Aunt Betty’s girls, Priscilla and Sylvia , were stuck up snobs according to Marley. They always left her out and called her a pip squeak but the summer of 1953, and the summer of Freddie de Marche, she was nearly as tall as Sylvia and she had recently had to buy a bra. She was nearly 15 to their 17 and 18 years old. They weren’t that old even though they told her every day she was a pip squeak and excluded her from everything. Her own brothers were all older than her, Virgil, Paul and Bobby didn’t much like having her around either. Marley Orcutt was the youngest in her immediate family and in her extended family so she was often left out of all the fun things like the St Cyr club that the people who had a lot of money belonged to and stayed at instead of a house, like her family. There were dances and ice cream buffets and all kinds of activities to do like kayak, canoe and play tennis. That summer, Cilla had a boy she went to college with who was dating her and she was invited to go to lunch on their very first day to meet his parents. Everyone was in a tizzy, well all the women of the house were. Marley was envious and even more so when she saw Cilla’s date, Freddie. As the years pass, Marley and Fred become friends and when she learns he’s enlisted in the Army when she is 17 she tells him she loves him. He tells her he loves their friendship but he’s 22 and much too old for her. She vows to wait for him. He promises to write as a friend and always calls her “kid” or “short stuff” which frustrates her. True to his word, he writes and sends postcards everywhere he goes when he’s on leave. For four years, he continues to write but she’s been dealing with a very sick mother. A mother who’s inherited her mother’s illness, early onset dementia in her 40’s. Because Marley was so much younger than her brothers she is the only sibling at home going through it all with her father. She was finally hospitalized once she started leaving the house in the middle of night. The hospital her mother is in makes Marley feel sick to her stomach and her mother scares her when she is confused and acts like she’s still a baby singing lullabies to her or calling her the wrong name. Her Dad is struggling as well. She finally writes Freddie back after he has written to her because one of her cousins had told him the news about her mother. By this time, she is in her 20’s and has graduated college. She invited Fred to come visit her when he informed her he’d be staying a few doors down at her cousins house and she successfully seduces him. Every leave he spends at her house in Oxeye that the family has now given her because she knows they fear that she will be the next victim of the horrendous hereditary disease both her grandmother and mother have succumbed to. She soon finds herself pregnant but only tells her Dad. She doesn’t want to tell Fred because she feels he only sees her as a good time and doesn’t want him to resent her for getting pregnant and forcing his hand in marriage or giving up his career he loves in the Army. The family tells everyone she is engaged to a fellow in the Army and when Fred gets word he writes her telling her he’s an idiot and wished he had made it clear to her before her fiancé did. When she is extremely pregnant, nearly ready to give birth he shows up, proposes and hadn’t even known she was with child or that it was hers. He and Marley have a daughter they name Amber because the name of the book she was reading when she first met him was called “Forever Amber”. Amber becomes an unlucky woman in the family who inherits the horrid disease of early onset dementia. Amber is also Jake’s mother.
When Zoe’s mother shows up on the first Christmas they’re celebrating at their new house with her family, Suni, Wayne, Ali and Lance and his wife as well as Jake, Zoe is shocked to the core. She finds out her mother is out on good behavior early release and is accompanied by her new boyfriend who was her correctional officer while she was in custody. She’s also on parole which she is violating because she’s crossed several state lines without permission and her boyfriend illegally looked into Zoe’s social security information for her new address. Her mother is seemingly under the influence, the new boyfriend scares the hell out of both her and Flo and naturally their unannounced arrival caused an emotional upheaval since Flo had no idea that she had a grandmother let alone one that was an addict and a prostitute and had spent the majority of her mothers life in jail which is why she was in foster care and had Suni and Wayne as her surrogate(foster) parents.
Jake immediately springs to action, removing them from the premises, luring them away from the house and from Zoe and Flo with the promise of a free hotel room from his cousins hotel a town over and free breakfast at the hotel until everyone can have a discussion. Zoe doesn’t want her Tina or her boyfriend near her home or her family and Jake. She gets a call from Jake letting her know that her mother and her boyfriend have had a do not disturb sign on their door for days and when housekeeping does a welfare check they find glass pipes and drug paraphernalia all over the room and the room trashed. Zoe decided to visit her mother and fortunately the boyfriend was out, Zoe was certain he was meeting a dealer though her mother said he was meeting “Dave” whoever that was and how her mother knew someone in Maine, she didn’t want to know. She told her mother she was done with her, she wasn’t allowed at her home or around her daughter and as her mother verbally abuses her per usual blaming Zoe for all the poor choices and her ungratefulness towards Tina, as she rants about everything she gave up and lost because of Zoe, she doesn’t finish listening to her mother and walks away. She drives to the park in Camden, close to where the hotel was because she is hysterical and cannot drive. Jake calls a few minutes later and can tell she’s crying. He tells her to stay there and that he’ll be there as soon as possible. Suddenly there is a knock on her window and it isn’t Jake. It’s Marley, his grandmother whom she’s met briefly at Zoe’s and Jake’s nieces play. Marley invites her to her house just around the corner and begins to tell Zoe her story about her mother’s and daughter’s dementia at such young ages, about Freddie and their love story and how much love the home Zoe bought from Jake was absolutely full of love, much more love than the junk and trash that Zoe found it full of and had begun to see it as a sad and depressing tragic home and family story. This perspective also gave Zoe the insight she too needed to understand her own life and how full of love and affection hers was. The mother, Tina may not have been the one she had been wishing she was but Suni was the mother who filled her whole life with so much love joy acceptance and happiness that she realized all along she had pining for something she had already had. That sometimes the perspectives we hold on to and believe are ours aren’t necessarily the reality we are living.
The was an absolutely endearing story and I loved every bit of it and every character. The depths the author gave the characters and their complex interwoven lives and connections were just beautiful.
Thank you so very much to #NetGalley for this #ARC and to #AmyMatthews for sharing such a heartfelt and lovely story #TheTreasureHouse and to #PenguinRandomHouse.
*This is one of the loveliest books I’ve read in a long time.*
Zoe, a single mother to Florence, “Flo”, works as a medical receptionist and is living in a large city with even larger rents. She shares a one bedroom with two twin beds with her daughter, who’s a pre-teen and it’s not exactly the life she wanted for her daughter. Zoe’s Dad, Tim had tried to live with them for roughly 10 months but was relieved to move out back onto campus where he and Zoe had been living prior to her pregnancy. She dropped out of her Junior year of college and got a job full time so that Tim could continue with school. When he graduated, he moved to Seattle on the other side of the country with his fiancé.
One day while on her lunch break with her colleagues, Zoe was looking at homes on a real estate as she typically did to pass the time. She would find her dream homes and imagine what it would be like to own one. Her colleague introduced her to “treasure homes”. These were homes that were full of junk, a previous hoarder would have lived there and these homes were being sold for song. At first Zoe thought this was a crazy idea until she found a darling old home in Oxeye, Maine that was a walk to the beach with a view of the ocean from the home. She decided to do something impulsive for once in her carefully structured life and had contacted the bank and bought the house.
Having grown up with an extreme addict, her mother was frequently in and out of jail. She was a prostitute and a horrific addict who Zoe watched OD several times. She was often left alone, rarely with food and the men her mother brought into their lives were as terrifying as she was and also addicts, She had gone through phases of drugs she would get herself addicted to, meth, cocaine, oxy and naturally alcohol. Meth was the worst drug for Zoe because her mother became so erratic and would be awake for days hallucinating and verbally abusive as well as emotionally mentally and physically negligent. The last time her mother was sent to jail and Zoe was put into another foster was when Zoe wrote a paper describing her vacation. She wrote about trying to make a box of Mac n cheese last for days. This would be her saving grace, as she would end up at Suni and Wayne’s house. The Overbecks had a daughter Ali and a son Lance and had taken in other foster kids as well. They’re foster child and Zoe’s foster sister Bethany had passed away that year and it was their first year without her. They’d all grieved the loss. Zoe had been loved by this family since she was 13 and they loved Flo as if she were their blood relation and granddaughter. They treated Zoe and Flo exactly as they had their own children and Zoe had their love and affection as one of the many reasons she has turned into the woman and mother she was. Her own mother Tina was still in jail for prostitution and possession. She wrote to Zoe, addressing it to the Overbecks because Zoe had wanted nothing to do with Tina nor did she visit her or want her to know where she lived. Tina didn’t even know about Flo. She’d planned to keep it that way.
Once she and Flo got to Oxeye, the hardware store owner was who she had been in contact with while the sale and purchase went through. She went down to the store that was a few doors down from their overflowing “treasure” house to get their keys. When Zoe laid eyes on Jake she had a real hard time removing them. He was not what she had pictured. He didn’t look like a nearly retired middle aged man with a belly. He was more of a six pack, muscular gorgeous specimen of a male who was her age or close to it. Everyone they met in their small little beach town was so friendly and extremely helpful it didn’t take long at all for Zoe and Flo to become close them all. Jake was especially helpful even if he was quite grumpy. But as time went on Zoe would learn the reason for his emotional ups and downs and we will learn, as readers the history of the home and how very loved it was,
The author interweaves in and out of present day with Zoe and Flo living there and from the 1950’s up until it is purchased by Zoe. The Orcutt family originally owned the home, the sisters, Betty and Sylvia’s parents had left the house to them. The two sisters, their children and their husbands spent their entire summers there. The husbands usually worked during the week back home and mainly spent their weekends in Oxeye with the exception of the few weeks they’d take vacation time. Aunt Betty’s girls, Priscilla and Sylvia , were stuck up snobs according to Marley. They always left her out and called her a pip squeak but the summer of 1953, and the summer of Freddie de Marche, she was nearly as tall as Sylvia and she had recently had to buy a bra. She was nearly 15 to their 17 and 18 years old. They weren’t that old even though they told her every day she was a pip squeak and excluded her from everything. Her own brothers were all older than her, Virgil, Paul and Bobby didn’t much like having her around either. Marley Orcutt was the youngest in her immediate family and in her extended family so she was often left out of all the fun things like the St Cyr club that the people who had a lot of money belonged to and stayed at instead of a house, like her family. There were dances and ice cream buffets and all kinds of activities to do like kayak, canoe and play tennis. That summer, Cilla had a boy she went to college with who was dating her and she was invited to go to lunch on their very first day to meet his parents. Everyone was in a tizzy, well all the women of the house were. Marley was envious and even more so when she saw Cilla’s date, Freddie. As the years pass, Marley and Fred become friends and when she learns he’s enlisted in the Army when she is 17 she tells him she loves him. He tells her he loves their friendship but he’s 22 and much too old for her. She vows to wait for him. He promises to write as a friend and always calls her “kid” or “short stuff” which frustrates her. True to his word, he writes and sends postcards everywhere he goes when he’s on leave. For four years, he continues to write but she’s been dealing with a very sick mother. A mother who’s inherited her mother’s illness, early onset dementia in her 40’s. Because Marley was so much younger than her brothers she is the only sibling at home going through it all with her father. She was finally hospitalized once she started leaving the house in the middle of night. The hospital her mother is in makes Marley feel sick to her stomach and her mother scares her when she is confused and acts like she’s still a baby singing lullabies to her or calling her the wrong name. Her Dad is struggling as well. She finally writes Freddie back after he has written to her because one of her cousins had told him the news about her mother. By this time, she is in her 20’s and has graduated college. She invited Fred to come visit her when he informed her he’d be staying a few doors down at her cousins house and she successfully seduces him. Every leave he spends at her house in Oxeye that the family has now given her because she knows they fear that she will be the next victim of the horrendous hereditary disease both her grandmother and mother have succumbed to. She soon finds herself pregnant but only tells her Dad. She doesn’t want to tell Fred because she feels he only sees her as a good time and doesn’t want him to resent her for getting pregnant and forcing his hand in marriage or giving up his career he loves in the Army. The family tells everyone she is engaged to a fellow in the Army and when Fred gets word he writes her telling her he’s an idiot and wished he had made it clear to her before her fiancé did. When she is extremely pregnant, nearly ready to give birth he shows up, proposes and hadn’t even known she was with child or that it was hers. He and Marley have a daughter they name Amber because the name of the book she was reading when she first met him was called “Forever Amber”. Amber becomes an unlucky woman in the family who inherits the horrid disease of early onset dementia. Amber is also Jake’s mother.
When Zoe’s mother shows up on the first Christmas they’re celebrating at their new house with her family, Suni, Wayne, Ali and Lance and his wife as well as Jake, Zoe is shocked to the core. She finds out her mother is out on good behavior early release and is accompanied by her new boyfriend who was her correctional officer while she was in custody. She’s also on parole which she is violating because she’s crossed several state lines without permission and her boyfriend illegally looked into Zoe’s social security information for her new address. Her mother is seemingly under the influence, the new boyfriend scares the hell out of both her and Flo and naturally their unannounced arrival caused an emotional upheaval since Flo had no idea that she had a grandmother let alone one that was an addict and a prostitute and had spent the majority of her mothers life in jail which is why she was in foster care and had Suni and Wayne as her surrogate(foster) parents.
Jake immediately springs to action, removing them from the premises, luring them away from the house and from Zoe and Flo with the promise of a free hotel room from his cousins hotel a town over and free breakfast at the hotel until everyone can have a discussion. Zoe doesn’t want her Tina or her boyfriend near her home or her family and Jake. She gets a call from Jake letting her know that her mother and her boyfriend have had a do not disturb sign on their door for days and when housekeeping does a welfare check they find glass pipes and drug paraphernalia all over the room and the room trashed. Zoe decided to visit her mother and fortunately the boyfriend was out, Zoe was certain he was meeting a dealer though her mother said he was meeting “Dave” whoever that was and how her mother knew someone in Maine, she didn’t want to know. She told her mother she was done with her, she wasn’t allowed at her home or around her daughter and as her mother verbally abuses her per usual blaming Zoe for all the poor choices and her ungratefulness towards Tina, as she rants about everything she gave up and lost because of Zoe, she doesn’t finish listening to her mother and walks away. She drives to the park in Camden, close to where the hotel was because she is hysterical and cannot drive. Jake calls a few minutes later and can tell she’s crying. He tells her to stay there and that he’ll be there as soon as possible. Suddenly there is a knock on her window and it isn’t Jake. It’s Marley, his grandmother whom she’s met briefly at Zoe’s and Jake’s nieces play. Marley invites her to her house just around the corner and begins to tell Zoe her story about her mother’s and daughter’s dementia at such young ages, about Freddie and their love story and how much love the home Zoe bought from Jake was absolutely full of love, much more love than the junk and trash that Zoe found it full of and had begun to see it as a sad and depressing tragic home and family story. This perspective also gave Zoe the insight she too needed to understand her own life and how full of love and affection hers was. The mother, Tina may not have been the one she had been wishing she was but Suni was the mother who filled her whole life with so much love joy acceptance and happiness that she realized all along she had pining for something she had already had. That sometimes the perspectives we hold on to and believe are ours aren’t necessarily the reality we are living.
The was an absolutely endearing story and I loved every bit of it and every character. The depths the author gave the characters and their complex interwoven lives and connections were just beautiful.
Thank you so very much to #NetGalley for this #ARC and to #AmyMatthews for sharing such a heartfelt and lovely story #TheTreasureHouse and to #PenguinRandomHouse.
June 3, 2026
4.5 stars, rounded up
I sat down with this book hoping for an engaging, comfortable read, and this book gave me that and so, so much more. From the moment I met Zoe and Florence I was pulled into their story. I was completely unfamiliar with the concept of treasure houses so watched a few videos by one TikTok creator who bought a hoarder house. I love that this story was based on this concept and how it helped us gradually get to know characters in the book, especially Marly and Freddie.
Matthews did a beautiful job of developing each of the main characters in the book and letting each person’s story unfold throughout the book. Each of the characters eventually became a rich tapestry of a story in themselves, which made the whole story so much more satisfying. Zoe’s courage, Jake’s reticence, Florence’s boldness and Suní and Wayne’s love were palpable as the story built. I felt that the romance was a secondary storyline, despite the tension between Jake and Zoe. And I did feel that it had a sort of abrupt start.
And even better, this book hits on some deep topics without shying away. Child neglect, foster care, addiction, poverty, early-onset dementia and full-blown Alzheimer’s. The author does an incredible job of weaving them into the story without taking a preachy tone. The topics flow naturally with the storyline and each is addressed with gentleness and care without blame.
I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t bear to part with any of the characters and I absolutely had to know what was coming next. I laughed out loud. I cried. I cared so deeply about Zoe and Florence and their new life. The characters felt so real. Not one of them was perfect or too good. They had flaws and challenges and unlikable moments. And I loved them the more for it. This is a book I won’t hesitate to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Treasure House.
I sat down with this book hoping for an engaging, comfortable read, and this book gave me that and so, so much more. From the moment I met Zoe and Florence I was pulled into their story. I was completely unfamiliar with the concept of treasure houses so watched a few videos by one TikTok creator who bought a hoarder house. I love that this story was based on this concept and how it helped us gradually get to know characters in the book, especially Marly and Freddie.
Matthews did a beautiful job of developing each of the main characters in the book and letting each person’s story unfold throughout the book. Each of the characters eventually became a rich tapestry of a story in themselves, which made the whole story so much more satisfying. Zoe’s courage, Jake’s reticence, Florence’s boldness and Suní and Wayne’s love were palpable as the story built. I felt that the romance was a secondary storyline, despite the tension between Jake and Zoe. And I did feel that it had a sort of abrupt start.
And even better, this book hits on some deep topics without shying away. Child neglect, foster care, addiction, poverty, early-onset dementia and full-blown Alzheimer’s. The author does an incredible job of weaving them into the story without taking a preachy tone. The topics flow naturally with the storyline and each is addressed with gentleness and care without blame.
I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t bear to part with any of the characters and I absolutely had to know what was coming next. I laughed out loud. I cried. I cared so deeply about Zoe and Florence and their new life. The characters felt so real. Not one of them was perfect or too good. They had flaws and challenges and unlikable moments. And I loved them the more for it. This is a book I won’t hesitate to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Treasure House.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Zoe Copeland wants to give her daughter Flo the best life she can, and that includes a space to call her own. The only problem is that housing is expensive, and Zoe can't afford much. She learns about "Treasure Houses" online and finds a cottage in Maine. Treasure houses are called as such due to them being full of "culch" and are sold with everything inside. The opportunity seems too good to be true, but Zoe takes a chance on the charming seaside cottage. She meets Jake, a grump who is native to the town, who reluctantly hands the keys over and thinks Zoe is in way over her head. Zoe and Flo embark on this new endeavor building relationships of all kinds, and while they begin to clear the cottage and make it home, it starts to reveal the truth behind the town and the people who live in it.
This book had an opening that immediately transplants you into Zoe's life. The author brought us with her on a regular day, and it set up the plot and our expectations by showing us rather than just telling. I was put directly into her life as a bystander and was rooting for our main character from the moment I met her.
Every conversation felt natural, and the banter between the characters was so entertaining to read. Flo's interactions with Jake were some of my favorites. Flo is only 11, but read slightly more mature which made perfect sense being she was an only child of a single mom. Flo never lost her childlike whimsy, but she was such a strong individual. Her personality really resonated with me on a personal level, and I felt like it reflected parts of my childhood back at me. Zoe's voice also felt so realistic for her backstory. She read as if she was a bit younger, not in an immature way, but rather the she had to grow and mature quickly due to her upbringing. Being a young single mom allowed her to bond with Flo on a deep level and they understood each other without needing words to communicate. The author wrote every character so exceptionally well. Every conversation and every decision made aligned with the backstory given to each character. Their motivations were always clear, and these felt truly like real people.
The romance element felt natural and inevitable. The way in which these characters resolved their insecurities without projecting onto each other felt mature. They communicated and respected boundaries and didn't push one another. This felt so fresh because a lot of romantic stories rely on miscommunication to create intrigue, but these characters had enough at stake to take it slow and listen to each other and truly build a stable foundation for their relationship to thrive.
I won't elaborate too much because I liked being surprised by the story, but I appreciated the dual timeline. It added so much depth to the story, We were finding out the truth in the present along side it happening in the past, and I find that always adds to the payoff in the end. The writing had me gripped and I found myself engrossed and not wanting to put the book down. I loved these characters and needed to live inside their stories.
I giggled, I cried, I grinned ear to ear. This was such a special book that had so many intrinsically human aspects that gave this book tangibility. This story will live with me for a long time.
I highly recommend, but always check trigger warnings for the heavier topics discussed in this book!
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for an early copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
This book had an opening that immediately transplants you into Zoe's life. The author brought us with her on a regular day, and it set up the plot and our expectations by showing us rather than just telling. I was put directly into her life as a bystander and was rooting for our main character from the moment I met her.
Every conversation felt natural, and the banter between the characters was so entertaining to read. Flo's interactions with Jake were some of my favorites. Flo is only 11, but read slightly more mature which made perfect sense being she was an only child of a single mom. Flo never lost her childlike whimsy, but she was such a strong individual. Her personality really resonated with me on a personal level, and I felt like it reflected parts of my childhood back at me. Zoe's voice also felt so realistic for her backstory. She read as if she was a bit younger, not in an immature way, but rather the she had to grow and mature quickly due to her upbringing. Being a young single mom allowed her to bond with Flo on a deep level and they understood each other without needing words to communicate. The author wrote every character so exceptionally well. Every conversation and every decision made aligned with the backstory given to each character. Their motivations were always clear, and these felt truly like real people.
The romance element felt natural and inevitable. The way in which these characters resolved their insecurities without projecting onto each other felt mature. They communicated and respected boundaries and didn't push one another. This felt so fresh because a lot of romantic stories rely on miscommunication to create intrigue, but these characters had enough at stake to take it slow and listen to each other and truly build a stable foundation for their relationship to thrive.
I won't elaborate too much because I liked being surprised by the story, but I appreciated the dual timeline. It added so much depth to the story, We were finding out the truth in the present along side it happening in the past, and I find that always adds to the payoff in the end. The writing had me gripped and I found myself engrossed and not wanting to put the book down. I loved these characters and needed to live inside their stories.
I giggled, I cried, I grinned ear to ear. This was such a special book that had so many intrinsically human aspects that gave this book tangibility. This story will live with me for a long time.
I highly recommend, but always check trigger warnings for the heavier topics discussed in this book!
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for an early copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This story made me realise how big irony and dryness are right now, and how much I miss books like The Treasure House, which are unabashedly sincere, when I go too long without reading them.* This is peak humanism — Amy Matthews’ understanding of people is akin to that of George Eliot in my opinion, so insightful and on-point in her explorations of characters, and so wonderful in her care for the reader. This book is all about psychological wounds and the mistakes we make as we try to heal them (though we are always trying our best!). Expect intergenerational trauma, dual-timelines, mystery, and beautifully slow-burning love stories.
Oxeye is an idyllic town that made me think a lot about what’s missing from most modern societies (ahem, community, no surprise there). To imagine a completely different way of being, as in Oxeye, for 380 pages made my heart ache in the best way. Surely we can strive for that kind of future! I think many readers will understand all too well the loneliness and isolation Zoe is accustomed to; it’s inspiring to see how all of that changes when she moves to Oxeye. Every single character in every single Amy Matthews book leaps off the page, no matter how ‘small’ they are in the story, and in The Treasure House all are folded into the community in such a vibrant way. Every person is specific and three-dimensional.
At around the three-quarter mark I began crying and then I couldn’t stop for the rest of the novel. There are dark themes of addiction, poverty, and breaking intergenerational cycles in this book, and these are handled expertly. Even when it’s hard, it is never bleak, never hopeless. This book is full of love and comfort. It might be my favourite Amy Matthews novel (so far).
*To be clear, I love an ironic/dry/satirical novel so hard, too.
Oxeye is an idyllic town that made me think a lot about what’s missing from most modern societies (ahem, community, no surprise there). To imagine a completely different way of being, as in Oxeye, for 380 pages made my heart ache in the best way. Surely we can strive for that kind of future! I think many readers will understand all too well the loneliness and isolation Zoe is accustomed to; it’s inspiring to see how all of that changes when she moves to Oxeye. Every single character in every single Amy Matthews book leaps off the page, no matter how ‘small’ they are in the story, and in The Treasure House all are folded into the community in such a vibrant way. Every person is specific and three-dimensional.
At around the three-quarter mark I began crying and then I couldn’t stop for the rest of the novel. There are dark themes of addiction, poverty, and breaking intergenerational cycles in this book, and these are handled expertly. Even when it’s hard, it is never bleak, never hopeless. This book is full of love and comfort. It might be my favourite Amy Matthews novel (so far).
*To be clear, I love an ironic/dry/satirical novel so hard, too.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“The Treasure House” by Amy Matthews is a heart warming story about Zoe, a single mother trying to give her 11 year old daughter Flo a better life, while dealing with her own bitter memories of a childhood spent caring for a drug addict mother, and growing up in foster care. Tired of living in a small one bedroom apartment and forcing her daughter to share a room with her, Zoe starts researching available “treasure houses,” homes that were filled with junk and otherwise needing repair, which can be bought at a low price. She finds one in Maine, a 12 hour drive from Pittsburgh, where she is currently living. Impulsively, she packs up the car and goes to the small town of Oxebow to look at the house for herself.
Despite its state of disrepair, Zoe loves the ocean view, sees the house’s hidden charms and decides to purchase it. With the help of her former foster parents and the current full time residents, including Jake, the hunky owner of the town’s hardware store, Zoe slowly begins to rid the house of its junk and restore it to its former glory. Along the way, she learns to break down the walls she built after a lifetime spent being ignored by her junkie mother and fearing rejection and loss.
The multi-dimensional characters are well-drawn and the scenery and house are vividly rendered in beautiful prose. In addition, the life-affirming lessons it provides with its portrayal of a strong, resilient main character in Zoe makes for an uplifting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing Company for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Despite its state of disrepair, Zoe loves the ocean view, sees the house’s hidden charms and decides to purchase it. With the help of her former foster parents and the current full time residents, including Jake, the hunky owner of the town’s hardware store, Zoe slowly begins to rid the house of its junk and restore it to its former glory. Along the way, she learns to break down the walls she built after a lifetime spent being ignored by her junkie mother and fearing rejection and loss.
The multi-dimensional characters are well-drawn and the scenery and house are vividly rendered in beautiful prose. In addition, the life-affirming lessons it provides with its portrayal of a strong, resilient main character in Zoe makes for an uplifting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing Company for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Treasure Found!
This book had it all—a little mystery, a little romance, a family lost and found, and a wonderfully unique premise. Fair warning: you may find yourself browsing real estate listings by the time you finish!
In The Treasure House, Amy Matthews introduces us to Zoe, a single mother who is desperate for a change in her small, predictable world. While casually browsing online real estate listings, she discovers a program that sells homes for next to nothing—as long as the buyer agrees to take the property exactly as it is.
On a whim, Zoe purchases a tiny cottage in coastal Maine that was previously owned by a hoarder. When she and her charming, precocious daughter, Flo, arrive in their new town, they discover much more than a house. What they find is a community, a sense of belonging, and connections they never expected.
Following Zoe and Flo as they clean out, restore, and uncover the secrets hidden within the cottage is an absolute delight. Matthews takes readers on a treasure hunt filled with heart, hope, and unexpected discoveries. I loved watching the house come back to life and seeing the relationships that developed along the way.
The setting is charming, the characters are easy to root for, and the mystery of what might be hidden inside the house kept me turning pages. By the end, I was completely won over by this story and wishing I could book a trip to Oxeye, Maine myself.
Herb and I give this one 🦴🦴🦴🦴 4 big bones! We're currently researching vacation homes in Oxeye, Maine and wishing it were a real place.
This book had it all—a little mystery, a little romance, a family lost and found, and a wonderfully unique premise. Fair warning: you may find yourself browsing real estate listings by the time you finish!
In The Treasure House, Amy Matthews introduces us to Zoe, a single mother who is desperate for a change in her small, predictable world. While casually browsing online real estate listings, she discovers a program that sells homes for next to nothing—as long as the buyer agrees to take the property exactly as it is.
On a whim, Zoe purchases a tiny cottage in coastal Maine that was previously owned by a hoarder. When she and her charming, precocious daughter, Flo, arrive in their new town, they discover much more than a house. What they find is a community, a sense of belonging, and connections they never expected.
Following Zoe and Flo as they clean out, restore, and uncover the secrets hidden within the cottage is an absolute delight. Matthews takes readers on a treasure hunt filled with heart, hope, and unexpected discoveries. I loved watching the house come back to life and seeing the relationships that developed along the way.
The setting is charming, the characters are easy to root for, and the mystery of what might be hidden inside the house kept me turning pages. By the end, I was completely won over by this story and wishing I could book a trip to Oxeye, Maine myself.
Herb and I give this one 🦴🦴🦴🦴 4 big bones! We're currently researching vacation homes in Oxeye, Maine and wishing it were a real place.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Single mom Zoe Copeland dreams of giving her eleven-year-old daughter, Flo, a better home than their cramped one-bedroom apartment. When she learns about “treasure houses”—properties sold at low prices but left exactly as they were, often overflowing with years of accumulated belongings—Zoe begins searching for the right one. Her research leads her to a charming cottage in a small tourist town on the coast of Maine.
The cottage turns out to be both more delightful and more daunting than she expected. While Flo is enchanted by the quirky treasures stacked in every corner, Zoe is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of junk and the costly repairs the house desperately needs.
Jake, the owner of the local hardware store and Zoe’s new neighbor, steps in to help with some of the repairs. As they spend more time together, sparks begin to fly, and Zoe learns that the cottage once belonged to Jake’s family. His stories hint at a complicated past, prompting Zoe to dig deeper into why the locals still refer to the house as Marley’s Place.
This is an intriguing, heartwarming story filled with unexpected twists, tender moments, and the quiet strength of starting over. Long after I turned the final page, Zoe and Flo’s journey stayed with me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
The cottage turns out to be both more delightful and more daunting than she expected. While Flo is enchanted by the quirky treasures stacked in every corner, Zoe is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of junk and the costly repairs the house desperately needs.
Jake, the owner of the local hardware store and Zoe’s new neighbor, steps in to help with some of the repairs. As they spend more time together, sparks begin to fly, and Zoe learns that the cottage once belonged to Jake’s family. His stories hint at a complicated past, prompting Zoe to dig deeper into why the locals still refer to the house as Marley’s Place.
This is an intriguing, heartwarming story filled with unexpected twists, tender moments, and the quiet strength of starting over. Long after I turned the final page, Zoe and Flo’s journey stayed with me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Zoe Copeland has had a hard life, having been in and out of foster care as a young girl due to her mother's drug addictions, and then finding herself pregnant in college and forced to drop out to take care of her daughter Flo. Together Zoe and Flo live a quiet life in a one-bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh when one day one of her coworkers tells her about "treasure houses" that sparks a new plan to improve her life. Zoe ends up buying a run down, "culch" filled treasure house in a small town on the coast near Camden, ME, and finds herself becoming part of a small town in a way that she never imagined possible.
Treasure House is about the search for home, and finding your place in a family, and believing in yourself in the best ways possible. The romance and found family tropes were well done, and the writing was lovely. I also very much enjoyed the dual timeline about Marly, a previous owner of the treasure house that Zoe buys and learning how the home ended up so full of junk and became so neglected. The character development and growth that Zoe showed from start to finish was also heartwarming. I would certainly recommend this book to readers who are looking for something a bit cozy, with real depth.
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.
Treasure House is about the search for home, and finding your place in a family, and believing in yourself in the best ways possible. The romance and found family tropes were well done, and the writing was lovely. I also very much enjoyed the dual timeline about Marly, a previous owner of the treasure house that Zoe buys and learning how the home ended up so full of junk and became so neglected. The character development and growth that Zoe showed from start to finish was also heartwarming. I would certainly recommend this book to readers who are looking for something a bit cozy, with real depth.
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 stars. First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Dell Publishing Company for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review. Single mom Zoe Copeland dreams of giving her eleven-year-old daughter, Flo, a better home than their cramped one-bedroom apartment. When she learns about “treasure houses”—properties sold at low prices but left exactly as they were, often overflowing with years of accumulated belongings—Zoe begins searching for the right one. Her research leads her to a charming cottage in a small tourist town on the coast of Maine. The story revolves around Zoe slowly ridding the house of its junk and restoring it to its former glory. Along the way, she learns to break down the walls she built after a lifetime spent being ignored by her junkie mother and fearing rejection and loss and builds a new relationship with Jake, the owner of the nearby hardware store.
The setting is charming, the characters and found family delightful, and the mystery of the house and it’s owners was engaging. I would happily move to Oxeye, Maine myself :) This is a cozy, heartwarming story and I would definitely recommend.
The setting is charming, the characters and found family delightful, and the mystery of the house and it’s owners was engaging. I would happily move to Oxeye, Maine myself :) This is a cozy, heartwarming story and I would definitely recommend.
July 8, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine and Amy Matthews for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book from this author.
The book was told in 2 timelines and reminded me of a Beatrice Williams book in the writing style.
A beautiful book that touches on belonging, family, neglect and found family. These themes are threaded between both timelines and weave the stories together nicely.
In our present timeline our FMC has had a very challenging life and as a young single parent, is struggling to keep herself and her daughter in a one bedroom apartment when she hears about treasure houses and gets the idea to buy one. The story follows that process in present day and flashes back to the story of the woman who lived there before she bought it.
There is heartbreaking on page early onset dementia within the story along with drug use, mentions of overdose and child abandonment.
While I was cheering for our couple and recognize they had been giving each other longing looks for weeks things did seem to progress quite quickly for them.
This is my first book from this author.
The book was told in 2 timelines and reminded me of a Beatrice Williams book in the writing style.
A beautiful book that touches on belonging, family, neglect and found family. These themes are threaded between both timelines and weave the stories together nicely.
In our present timeline our FMC has had a very challenging life and as a young single parent, is struggling to keep herself and her daughter in a one bedroom apartment when she hears about treasure houses and gets the idea to buy one. The story follows that process in present day and flashes back to the story of the woman who lived there before she bought it.
There is heartbreaking on page early onset dementia within the story along with drug use, mentions of overdose and child abandonment.
While I was cheering for our couple and recognize they had been giving each other longing looks for weeks things did seem to progress quite quickly for them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a Pittsburgher, there were two references in the beginning of this book that almost caused me to stop reading. The story opens in Pittsburgh, and the main character, Zoe, refers to South Oakland and Squirrel Hill South. Absolutely no one here adds the "south."
Thankfully, however, I kept reading, and the more I read, the more I got into the story. Admittedly, I was worried that the majority of the book would be taken up by Zoe dealing with her treasure house, but thankfully we were saved all those details.
This is a story about single mother Zoe, and pre-teen daughter Flo, who purchase a treasure house and start a new life in Maine. I hadn't heard of a treasure house prior to this. We're treated to the past, with the POV of Marly, who Zoe thinks is the owner of all the stuff in the house. Zoe's had a difficult life, so there are some heavy topics. Ultimately, it is an uplifting story about found family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.
Thankfully, however, I kept reading, and the more I read, the more I got into the story. Admittedly, I was worried that the majority of the book would be taken up by Zoe dealing with her treasure house, but thankfully we were saved all those details.
This is a story about single mother Zoe, and pre-teen daughter Flo, who purchase a treasure house and start a new life in Maine. I hadn't heard of a treasure house prior to this. We're treated to the past, with the POV of Marly, who Zoe thinks is the owner of all the stuff in the house. Zoe's had a difficult life, so there are some heavy topics. Ultimately, it is an uplifting story about found family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I couldn’t put this book down. From the cover to the content, it was part cozy and part complicated—truly a wonderful mix to keep the story moving along. Single mother Zoe moves to Maine in an attempt to find a better life for her and her daughter and takes on a “treasure house,” that is, a worn out home filled with the junk of its former owner. The descriptions of the location, the house, and the little community are really lovely, and 11-year-old Flo is wise beyond her years and very, very funny. What seems like junk turns out to be various kinds of treasure, and the experience of fixing the home, finding true family, and being with the residents of the little town prove to be the renovated life. Highly recommended for discussion.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Zoe Copeland is a single mom, a medical receptionist with an eleven year old daughter. Zoe and her daughter Florence share a one bedroom apartment.
One day on her lunch break Zoe was looking at homes on real estate sites. One of her colleagues introduces her to “Treasure Homes.” These are homes filled with junk, other peoples memories and sold as is. Homes that would actually be affordable for Zoe to buy.
Zoe finds an old charming cottage in Oxeye, Maine with an ocean view.
Zoe is overwhelmed by the amount of junk and all the repairs. What are the costs of fixing up this delightful cottage.
Flo is loving the quirky treasures she finds throughout the house.
This really was a heartwarming story. Filled with challenges, intrigue, insight to understand one’s own life, dementia, foster care, addiction and much more.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book.
One day on her lunch break Zoe was looking at homes on real estate sites. One of her colleagues introduces her to “Treasure Homes.” These are homes filled with junk, other peoples memories and sold as is. Homes that would actually be affordable for Zoe to buy.
Zoe finds an old charming cottage in Oxeye, Maine with an ocean view.
Zoe is overwhelmed by the amount of junk and all the repairs. What are the costs of fixing up this delightful cottage.
Flo is loving the quirky treasures she finds throughout the house.
This really was a heartwarming story. Filled with challenges, intrigue, insight to understand one’s own life, dementia, foster care, addiction and much more.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A heartwarming story that blends mystery, family, community, and a touch of romance into an enjoyable read.
I loved the unique premise of buying a neglected house "as is" and discovering not only forgotten treasures but also unexpected opportunities. Watching Zoe and her daughter, Flo, transform the cottage while uncovering its history made for a satisfying and engaging journey.
The small coastal town is full of warmth, and the supporting characters add plenty of charm. I especially enjoyed seeing the friendships and sense of belonging grow as the story unfolded. The mystery surrounding the house kept me turning the pages, eager to discover what would be found next.
While the story is fairly predictable in places, it's also comforting, uplifting, and filled with hope.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
I loved the unique premise of buying a neglected house "as is" and discovering not only forgotten treasures but also unexpected opportunities. Watching Zoe and her daughter, Flo, transform the cottage while uncovering its history made for a satisfying and engaging journey.
The small coastal town is full of warmth, and the supporting characters add plenty of charm. I especially enjoyed seeing the friendships and sense of belonging grow as the story unfolded. The mystery surrounding the house kept me turning the pages, eager to discover what would be found next.
While the story is fairly predictable in places, it's also comforting, uplifting, and filled with hope.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
June 8, 2026
I received this as an arc and I am so thankful that I got to read this early!
I want to start this review off by saying that I love the style of books where we get a past and present and I loved how our main characters stories reflected the story in the past a little bit. I also loved Jake and Marley.
The only thing is that I was more invested in the past storyline than the present and I wish there were more chapters of Marley and Freddy because I love their love story. The other characters just fell a little flat because I couldn’t connect to them very deeply other than with Zoe having an addict as a parent. So I overall enjoyed the story but I was definitely more invested in marly and Freddy!!
I want to start this review off by saying that I love the style of books where we get a past and present and I loved how our main characters stories reflected the story in the past a little bit. I also loved Jake and Marley.
The only thing is that I was more invested in the past storyline than the present and I wish there were more chapters of Marley and Freddy because I love their love story. The other characters just fell a little flat because I couldn’t connect to them very deeply other than with Zoe having an addict as a parent. So I overall enjoyed the story but I was definitely more invested in marly and Freddy!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed this book. It was much more serious than I expected it to be. A single mom who can only afford a house by purchasing a “Treasure House”, or a house sold as-is, usually filled with a hoard of junk, trash, and plenty of repairs. I expected a light second-chance romance. Instead this book explores family traditions, friendships, mother-daughter relationships, forgiveness, and small-town kindness. I didn’t expect the more complex level of effects of addiction, dementia, and foster care relationships. If you’re looking for a closed-door romance set in a charming New England town with a deeper story to carry it, this is the book for you. The story did drag a bit at times, but overall it was good. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up to 4
As an avid house lover and someone who also enjoys checking Zillow every day for houses I'll never actually buy, I connected right away with Zoe and her favorite lunch break pastime. The idea of buying a once-beautiful treasure house in hopes of restoring it to its former glory is such a romantic notion. You can't not root for Zoe in her pursuit of homeownership--especially considering Zoe's tumultuous childhood and struggles as a single mom.
The coastal Maine setting and the historical flashbacks added a cozy richness to the story that makes it perfect for reading on a rainy summer day or into autumn. The overall uplifting message of taking the good with the bad when it comes to the rollercoaster of life was overall hopeful and heartfelt.
As an avid house lover and someone who also enjoys checking Zillow every day for houses I'll never actually buy, I connected right away with Zoe and her favorite lunch break pastime. The idea of buying a once-beautiful treasure house in hopes of restoring it to its former glory is such a romantic notion. You can't not root for Zoe in her pursuit of homeownership--especially considering Zoe's tumultuous childhood and struggles as a single mom.
The coastal Maine setting and the historical flashbacks added a cozy richness to the story that makes it perfect for reading on a rainy summer day or into autumn. The overall uplifting message of taking the good with the bad when it comes to the rollercoaster of life was overall hopeful and heartfelt.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you're looking for a cozy, heartwarming story filled with second chances, found family, and a touch of mystery, The Treasure House is one to add to your TBR. Watching Zoe and her daughter Flo transform a cluttered Maine cottage into a home was such a joy, and Flo completely stole the show with her wit and big personality. The small-town setting, gentle romance, and hidden history woven throughout the story made every chapter feel like uncovering a new treasure. Warm, uplifting, and impossible to put down, this is the kind of book that leaves you wishing the fictional town was real.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for the eARC!
#TheTreasureHouse #NetGalley
Pub. date: Sep. 1st 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for the eARC!
#TheTreasureHouse #NetGalley
Pub. date: Sep. 1st 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. My family calls these houses "hoarder houses" and I had never heard them called "treasure houses" before which made me think about how labels matter so much. Zoe has had a rough life growing up in foster care in-between stints with her drug-using mother and all she really wants now is to give her daughter Flo, her own room after 11 years of sharing a bedroom. She makes the decision to jump into a new life pretty quickly and things work out pretty well. The writing and the characters were compelling. I enjoyed both the present and past timelines.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Treasure House by Amy Matthews is a heartwarming story about second chances, family, and finding a place to belong. When single mother Zoe and her daughter move into a cluttered “treasure house” in rural Maine, they discover that the home’s greatest treasures are not the objects left behind, but the friendships, love, and sense of community they find along the way. Matthews creates engaging characters and a cozy small-town atmosphere, blending romance, mystery, and emotional depth into an uplifting and satisfying read. Perfect for readers who enjoy stories about fresh starts and personal transformation.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and @BallatineBooks for this ARC. Zoe is a single mom who can't afford the rent increase. A coworker mentioned Treasure Houses that you can purchase cheap because the house needs a lot of care and love and usually full of junk. After talking it over with her daughter Florence, they decided to go for and find a home of their own. When one came up in Maine, she couldn't pass it and it was theirs before she knew it! Before long, the house was way more than a home as well as the small town around it. Really, sweet story!!! #TheTreasureHouse #AmyMatthews #BallatineBooks #Sept2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a wonderful story about single mom Zoe who decides to move to a teeny Maine town to a Treasure home (a run down cheap home filled with junk) to give herself and her daughter a life long home. They meet Jake and the few other townies, all of whom are related in some way. While they redo the home, Zoe is dealing with her past trauma and dreams for the future. Really lovely story about found family, love and grief.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Treasure House". This was a wonderful story. I love the idea of a treasure house to buy. The characters in the story were amazing. I loved them all. I couldn't wait to read this heartwarming book each day to find out what was going on. How cute is Flo? I love her outspokenness. She was great! The house was great! Funny they were looking at houses in Fair Lawn NJ. I grew up in the next town over. But I would rather live in Maine in that Treasure House! This is a definite recommend book!
July 3, 2026
** Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this digital ARC **
The Treasure House caught my eye due to it’s cozy, homey cover. The description sounded like one I would enjoy. While I did enjoy some things about it, it was slow moving during the main storyline. I was far more interested in the past story of Marly than I was in the present day story.
The imagery and descriptive language allowed the reader to be immersed in the setting. I also admired the MC’s drive to work toward a better life for her and her daughter, Flo. Overall, this was a decent read, just too slow moving for me.
The Treasure House caught my eye due to it’s cozy, homey cover. The description sounded like one I would enjoy. While I did enjoy some things about it, it was slow moving during the main storyline. I was far more interested in the past story of Marly than I was in the present day story.
The imagery and descriptive language allowed the reader to be immersed in the setting. I also admired the MC’s drive to work toward a better life for her and her daughter, Flo. Overall, this was a decent read, just too slow moving for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A mother daughter duo setting up in Maine? Little bit of flashbacks building intrigue? Beach house?! This book has my name all over it. Loved this story that wove some deep themes into a fun romance and fixer upper story. Thanks you Random House for the ARC. Strongly recommend this one for anyone who loves a strong female mother lead and/or dreams of buying a fixer upper on a tiny beach town in Maine.
June 16, 2026
Loved!!! Looking for a fresh start, Zoe and her daughter, Flo, buy a cute Maine cottage filled to the brim with junk and in disrepair. Zoe has some demons to leave behind in Pittsburgh.
They meet lovely neighbors and fall into their new life nicely. Flo has a big personality and pet lover. The previous owner left lots of clues of her former life in that house and it becomes a big part of this lovely book. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. Highly Recommend!
They meet lovely neighbors and fall into their new life nicely. Flo has a big personality and pet lover. The previous owner left lots of clues of her former life in that house and it becomes a big part of this lovely book. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. Highly Recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved reading this book. It has all the “feel good vibes”one could ask for in a summer read. The characters are well developed and so very likable and especially Flo, who had me chuckle aloud! Heartbreak had its presence but emotional restoration and joy triumphed. Thank you Netgalley and Ballentine for granting me this book. All opinions are my own. #TheTreasureHouse, #Ballantine, #NetGalley, #Goodreads.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Treasure House is a treasure! The story is filled with strong female characters, with all their strengths and weaknesses, all their love for family and for others, and all their determination and pride. A heartwarming view of several generations and the ability to move forward even in difficult times.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this book so much! Not only was it set in Maine, it was set where I live! So, it was easy to envision the area. The story was just so cute and wonderful. I can't wait to own a paper copy!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A pleasant, feel-good read with a lot of heart. It’s a good choice for readers who enjoy cozy contemporary fiction, small-town settings, home renovation themes, and stories about rebuilding your life. It didn’t completely surprise me, but it left me with a warm feeling about the meaning of “home.”
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