The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains

Paperback Published on: 07/04/2026
Price: £10.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Incredible
Enter a world of Faerie bargains, they can be tricky so you’ll need someone to negotiate for you.Poppy Hill has been returned to the human world after year... READ MORE
Amanda Wade

Synopsis

'As irresistible as a faerie bargain, this book is riveting, magical and wonderful! I absolutely adored it!' Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

'I adored this one . . . its like cosy fantasy meets snarky fae dimplomacy, and I'm here for it' Reader review

Discover a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast, in this delightful debut packed full of wit, charm, adventure and heart, with a dash of magical bureaucracy and a sprinkling of romance.

When Poppy Hill was a child, she was stolen from her family's Montana homestead and taken 'Otherside' to the land of the Fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King's castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers faerie bargains, checking for loopholes in their contracts.

But when a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong, she must return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.

'There is simply not enough time or space for me to say everything I loved about this book. This had Holly Black-level Fae, T. Kingfisher-level plotting, and Naomi Novik-level wit. It was as if Heather Fawcett and Holly Black had a book baby with the perfect blend of contemporary and high fantasy . . . what a breath of fresh air'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

'Unforgettable and utterly addictive'
Lyra Selene, author of A Feather so Black

'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains is as funny and witty as it is enchanting. Poppy Hill is a first-class heroine - full of sharp edges and quiet resolve - and her journeys through modern bureaucracy and fantastical Fae courts alike are utterly enthralling'
Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes

'A charming and warm-hearted tale of family and friendship with a plot as twisty as a faerie bargain'
M. Stevenson, author of Behooved

'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains snatches you away into a world of enchanted contracts, faerie intrigue and French toast that you'll never want to come back from'
Molly O'Neill, author of Greenteeth

'A brilliant, tongue-in-cheek weaving of folklore and the hell of modern bureaucracy, combined with a twisty adventure and a dash of romance . . . A book that I was reluctant to close at the end. McCarty is a talent!'
Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

'Five stars without hesitation. I'm always searching for books that capture the same magic I find in Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde or Holly Black's Folk of the Air, and The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains absolutely delivered. To sum it up: This modern faerie novel is utterly captivating and stands out from the usual stereotypes with its distinctive storytelling, memorable characters and engaging plot. Brilliant!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
  • ISBN: 9780356526157
  • Number of pages: 416
  • Dimensions: 196 x 126 x 36 mm
  • Weight: 360g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Not quite the cosy fantasy I expected, and all the better for it.
This wasn’t what I expected at all, and it was far better for it. I’d anticipated something light, cosy, and brimming with whimsical fae and gentle magic. ... READ MORE
Penelope Bullock
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Magical
Thank you to the publisher Little Brown Book Group UK for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.I ended up en... READ MORE
LauraFay
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Fascinating
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher. This book takes the traditional concept of bargaining with Faeri... READ MORE
Jennifer Charlton
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
A Fantastic Fantasy!
 ☆☆☆¾  The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains was a brilliant read, the book started with our main character Poppy working for a company who facilitate ba... READ MORE
Faye | @tornoutending
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Good bones but a wee bit underwhelming
What if there was an agency who worked on behalf of humans and vetted faerie deals before they were made? If our FMP Poppy had had her deal vetted before ... READ MORE
nicola brooks
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Folklore fae with a twist
Folklore fae with a twist. It's not as whimsical as the title might suggest, and all the better for it. Poppy Hill has spent a long, long time Otherside, c... READ MORE
Michelle Kolberg
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Dark fae for fans of Holly Black
'The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains' shows us a world where children are stolen away to serve out 100 years of servitude at one of the fae courts and a... READ MORE
@anastasiamakes
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
not bad
I really enjoyed this book, a good start to what I assume will be a series. For future books you think the author could do with making a firm decision as t... READ MORE
Jrstano
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
An interesting new take on faerie lore and the changeling
This was an interesting new take on faerie lore and the changeling. I became fully immersed in this fabulous story writing. what a satisfying tale. I look ... READ MORE
Sharon Scotton
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Contacts and Faerie Stories
I much preferred the beginning of this one to the end. It starts of with a very intriguing premise: Poppy, the FMC, was taken to Faerie as a child. She ... READ MORE
Leanne
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Delightful Read!
Well, if this wasn't a DELIGHTFUL time! For us, loyal fans of the genre, it's always so refreshing to come across something a bit different and original th... READ MORE
Kat Ovtn
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Nice read!
It felt a bit underwhelming? I got in all excited and loved the fresh idea of the contracts, but I think that the story could have been developed deeper o... READ MORE
kostev09
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Loved the concept and the execution!
Loved it! First of all, I absolutely loved the premise of the book - a world where faerie bargains are allowed and strictly regulated to avoid bad bargains... READ MORE
Jessica Ballasi
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains
Keep your eyes on this author
I was so excited to dive into this story, and what a whirlwind it was to read. This book is going to be on many “top books from 2026” without a doubt. ... READ MORE
Elisabeth Pih
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.