The Heart of the Garden

This is a simple story chosen to read in between chapters of the longer book I was reading describing all of England's charms by Bill Bryson, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/25489012.The_Road_to_Little_Dribbling_Adventures_of_an_American_in_Britain" title="The Road to Little Dribbling Adventures of an American in Britain by Bill Bryson" rel="noopener">The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain</a>. That book is so full of information delivered with great humour, but it is dense with detail. <br />This book helped rest my mind and eyes between shoveling snow and reading Bryson's book, and is actually sited in one of the towns covered by him. It features a large manor house with neglected garden that attracts a dedicated gardener and then a young unhappily married woman who serves as a slave to her husband and his two spoiled daughters. The reclusive owner of the manor house does not come out to meet these two, but she is aware of their presence....and then she dies. No spoilers.<br /><br />Kindle Unlimited

Another fabulous book from Victoria Connelly. I really felt as though I got to know Morton Hall and its gardens in great detail. <br /><br />I loved finding out about the gardens, and seeing what Anne Maries and the others would discover in there next as an unlikely group of strangers inherit the Hall and their first task is to sort out the garden as it was rather overgrown. <br /><br />Learning about the different members of the group, and seeing how alliances were formed and even new friendships was inspiring and comforting. A complete mix of personalities but they do have things in common and it was lovely to see. <br /><br />There are three main storylines and characters. We have Emilia whose story in the 80s we are told, of young love and its through that you start to understand a lot more about Morton Hall and its history and the Morton family. <br /><br />There is Anne-Marie who is in a tricky marriage and I don't think much of her mother either. She was going to the gardens of Morton Hall even before this rather strange group inheritance and no one ever really noticed she had gone. <br /><br />Then there is Cape who is the hall's gardener, and his daughter Poppy who also had a really enjoyable storyline. <br /><br />The Heart of the Garden really does show how gardens can heal people, bring them together and give even the least green fingered amongst us a good sense of belonging. Really enjoyable book that I had a good time reading. <br /><br />Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Who could resist a mysterious maze in the garden, which the owner of the estate insists on cultivating. And when she dies, the town is shocked by her will which creates a hailstorm of controversy. There are delicious twists and tuns in The heart of the Garden, that I won't spoil for readers, but I love how Victoria Connelly weaves a tale of love lost and found with the survivers.

My Thoughts<br /><br /><br />‘I think a lot of people live with the decisions of others,’<br /><br />This is an interesting little weekend read, especially so if you love your gardens and community projects. Here you will find three main storylines - two present and one past - for you to follow. So it has a little bit of everything and Victoria is always reliable in presenting heartwarming novels. <br /><br />‘I can’t explain it, but I was drawn to this place. It made me feel calm. I love how a garden can do that – even one that’s neglected and unloved.’<br /><br />‘Heart of the Garden’ has history and mystery, friendships and romance. Although the main characters are on individual journey’s of self discovery, the stronger theme is one of community and people coming together to recreate a beautiful garden and find solace and friendship in each other. The question is of course, why would this reclusive woman leave her wealthy home, gardens and valuable collections to a motley crew from the local village who have no prior acquaintance with either each other or the owner?<br /><br />‘...this garden had the power to heal and it was her wish to pass that on to others.’<br /><br />One thing that struck me as interesting, and did not sit comfortably with me if I am honest, is the romantic leads were already in relationships. I understand it happens, but for both to be already involved and the whole ‘falling into each other’s arms’ seemed a bit trite. I also struggled with Anne Marie’s sudden change from her subservient nature, seemingly overnight - it just would not happen. Indeed for both main leads, the explanation of their perspective change was not adequately elaborated upon. <br /><br />‘I can’t believe your husband hasn’t noticed you’re unhappy.’<br /><br />Even though a short read, it was at times, a bit slow and I was not completely happy with the ending finding some loose threads hanging. Waiting until the last ten percent of the novel for the action to begin is just too late. So overall, an easy escape tale of love lost and found all in an English maze. <br /><br />‘Maybe she thought we all needed the release that gardening brings.’ Cape looked thoughtful. ‘I like it. I’ve always thought of gardening as a release too. A kind of therapy.’<br /><br /><br />This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release<br />

Emilia Morton is a mystery. She never leaves her house and lets her garden grow wild, except for the maze, which gardener Cape perfectly maintains. Even though Morton Hall is a private property Anne Marie often walks around the gardens. She's unhappily married and her husband and stepdaughters treat her with coldness and contempt. The garden is her sanctuary. When Emilia dies she leaves her home and the gardens to the community and she's selected a small group of people who are supposed to look after the house and its beautiful gardens. Anne Marie and Cape are part of this strange will and their shared love for the gardens of Morton Hall brings them closer together.<br /><br />Cape's girlfriend isn't happy with her life. They have a beautiful girl together and Cape loves Poppy more than anything. His work is his passion and he's happy where he is, but his girlfriend would love to move to the other side of the world. This causes friction. Working on Emilia's legacy gives him a perfect chance to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home. Anne Marie feels the exact same way and they have more in common than just that. Will Emilia's plans bring the group of people she's chosen to take care of her house and gardens closer together? Will they find out more about both themselves and the enigmatic woman who never showed herself?<br /><br />The Heart of the Garden is a beautiful romantic story. I was immediately captivated by Morton Hall and its history. It's an intriguing place filled with secrets, hidden gems and weird family history. Victoria Connelly alternates between the past, describing Emilia's younger years, and the present and I was equally fascinated by both parts of the story. Emilia is an interesting character and I was curious to find out why her life was so secluded. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what happened to her.<br /><br />Anne Marie is a kindhearted woman. She's taking care of people who will never do anything for her and reading about her life was heartbreaking. She deserves to be loved instead of being treated as a convenience. She loves Morton Hall and its gardens and there she truly feels at peace. It was interesting to see how forming friendship with the other people Emilia named in her will enriches her life and makes her come out of her shell. The same goes for Cape, even though Poppy is adorable and he's a great father, he's missing something at home and he finds happiness in the gardens. I really liked how each member of the group contributes something and enjoyed reading about all of them a lot.<br /><br />Victoria Connelly has written a wonderful story. Her writing has a lovely easy flow that makes it hard to put The Heart of the Garden down. I read the book in one sitting and loved every single page. I'm a big fan of stories about old houses and the secrets behind them and gardens with mazes always fascinate me, so the setting instantly put a smile on my face. The Heart of the Garden is an amazing story filled with surprising twists and turns. I especially loved the sense of community, the heartwarming friendships and the healing powers of working together. Victoria Connelly has written a fantastic spellbinding book.

<b> 4.5 stars </b><br /><br />I felt like I stepped out of a time machine when I finished this book. It's impossible for me to conceive that the main storyline takes place in the 21st century and the parallel story about Emilia Morton only dates back to 1980s. This is a wondeful old-timey book. I don't remember the last time I picked up a book written in the last decade that had zero references of pop-culture, television or social media. This book barely even had a radio - this feeling of having read something that felt like it belonged to another age and time was a very big part of the appeal for this book. <br /><br />The second come the distinctive characterizations - there were a myriad of people in this book. We read three main PoVs. That of Anne-Marie struggling in a loveless, thankless family; Cape who is almost too good of a man with his vocation for gardening and love for his daughter Poppy (a delightful girl) and the enigmatic Emilia Morton in 1980s. Credit to the author for giving them unique voices, Cape although was a very kind man was the least convincing out of these three POVs in terms of how he sounded in the pages and Emilia's was at the other end of the spectrum. Her story genuinely made me feel uneasy and it was like a cold dread spread over me whenever her story took over. I felt for the life she lived and the life she lost making her a strong protagonist and her gesture to the community of Morton Hall makes you empathize with her and understand how well she knew people of her village despite having been trapped away in that big, old house for all these years. The less said about Tobias, the better. <br /><br />I enjoyed the growing attraction and hesitation of Cape and Anne-Marie both coming from a difficult relationship. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for any of the private conversations between Patrick and Kathleen, they made me very happy - the curmudgeon meets his match :) Dorothy, Mac and Erin completed this strange circle of people who come together to renovate the gardens and home of Morton Hall for the community. The other characters were one-dimensional but served their purpose. This book gave me a good dose of garden-lust. I have never really had green fingers, this book emphasized the therapeutic joy of doing a hard day's work by getting your hands dirty. The twist was wonderful and it is about three quarters of the book before you are given a solid hints for the big reveal. Despite figuring it out a few chapters ahead, the moment still felt emotional. <br /><br />Emilia and her melancholic spirit carries the depth of this book, you keep wishing you could re-read her story and hope things will turn out for the better, but alas..<br /><br />Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily. This was my first book of the author

It's hard to categorize this dual time line novel- except to say that it's a charming tale of love lost and found in a maze. Emilia's tale is in the 1980s. The story of Anne Marie, Cape, and Poppy is told in the present after they discover that they, among others, have inherited Morton Hall if they can work together for a year to restore the gardens. There's a maze! Love mazes, We don't have a lot of these in the US, nor do we have many great houses with large gardens. This was a very good read, with good characters who are all more than you think originally, a little mystery, and a positive vibe. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Two thumbs up.

3.5-4 stars<br /><br />Heart of the Garden is a heartwarming read that’s got a little bit of everything in it: history, romance, mystery, self-discovery, friendship, and I could go on... One of the main focuses is a sense of community. I really loved how a hodgepodge group of people came together to create something beautiful to share. Several interesting characters and different time periods kept my interest and made for a fast read. <br /><br />**Many thanks to Victoria Connelly, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishers for an arc to read and honestly review.**

3.5 STARS<br /><br />I found this book on a random deal email. I've never heard/read the author. It is a sweet story, and I adored all the characters. It is somewhat predictable, but it didn't deter from my enjoyment. I'd definitely read this author again.

I am a member of the National Trust and have visited many wonderful gardens and Stately homes over the years. This book had me thinking of all the hard work that has been put into preserving those wonderful gardens and their Stately homes.<br /><br />I really enjoyed this story and loved the Characters. Even Tobias, the bully of a brother. It's the first time that i have read any books by this author and would love to read more. I do highly recommend. <br /><br />My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.<br /><br />The review can been seen on Goodreads and Amazon.