Rosh's Reviews > Garden of Her Heart
Garden of Her Heart
by
by
In a Nutshell: A soothing read about a woman’s journey towards healing. Romance present but not as the prime focus of the story for most of the way. A nice option for those who enjoy feel-good women’s fiction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
🍀 Holly’s character: Her transition from wallflower to an independent thinker comes out beautifully, making this seem almost like a ‘coming of age’ novel. I love how she wasn’t written as a typical naïve girl, but as someone who has the imagination to think beyond the obvious, the ability to make friends, as well as sharp business acumen.
🍀 The concept of ‘garden’, which isn’t just a part of the title but is active throughout the story, whether through the ‘gardening leave’ that Holly is forced to take, or her gardening memories with her grandfather, or of her gardening endeavours at Pinewoods. Even beyond the literal meaning, ‘garden’ can be seen as a metaphor for the experiences of some of the people at Pinewoods. As someone with a black thumb, all the green content was balm to my soul.
(Editing to Add: Some of my friends below seem very excited to read about 'gardening leave'. So just to clarify, it isn't exactly something to aspire to, unless voluntary. Here's its definition from Wikipedia:
'Garden leave (also known as gardening leave) is the practice whereby an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll.')
🍀 The incorporation of mental health issues, such as Holly’s PTSD and panic attacks, as well as Bex’s and Ruth’s complex emotions. I appreciate how the focus is more on the aftermath of the trauma than the trauma itself, making this story a journey of healing than of digging into the pain. For a debut novel, the themes are surprisingly restrained.
🍀 Holly's journal entries, that appear at regular interludes in between her third person narration. A creative way of letting us know where she is mentally without any extended first-person rambling.
🍀 The other female characters at the resort: San, Bex, Ruth, Dee and Lorraine. All strong characters with a distinct personality and an important role to play in the proceedings. Their interactions with Holly highlight the benefit of support and friendship.
🍀 The lessons, the most important one being that no one should be judged at face value. It also shows the importance of standing up for yourself, seeking help when needed, having your own support system, and changing your routine when you want a fresh start.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌿 Pinewood needs a gardener. Holly is jobless and loves gardening. So it doesn't take a genius to figure out where the story is going to end, though it takes a surprisingly long time for things to fall in place. That said, no one reads this genre wanting twists and thrills. The journey is more important, and in this case, despite the predictability, the journey offers enough of enjoyment.
Bookish Nays:
🌵 The two prominent male characters in the story, three if you count the BLT fellow, fall flat in comparison to the females. Dylan, the unethical journalist, is as cliched as can be. Hunter is meant to be the love interest, but his approach towards Holly is more annoying than adorable. (More on this below.)
🌵 The romance isn’t convincing. I get why the book has romance – many readers feel that a women’s fiction is incomplete without romance. Not for me though. I’d rather have the FMC “feel good” on her own merit than because she found someone to swoon over. That said, I still root for couples who are written well. In this story though, the Hunter-Holly dynamics are strangely unsteady. Hunter’s random blow-hot-blow-cold attitude was irksome and unjustified, making their ‘relationship” seem abrupt and weak.
🌵 Minor complaint: The title is a bit cheesy, sorry.
All in all, despite the teeny flaws, this is still a story that delivers to the right reader. It is not exactly a light read, but a good option when you want something soothing and emotional. It will also work for those readers who want to try a self-help book without reading a self-help book, as it has so many positive life lessons to offer.
Definitely recommended to fans of women’s fiction. This type of story is not much my kind of read any more, but it fulfils what it promises, and that’s what matters.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to UCLan Publishing, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for the DRC of “Garden of Her Heart”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Holly has not been resumed her job since a brutal attack some months ago left her with PTSD. The travel company she works for can’t wait anymore and fires her, but not without forcing her to take a mandatory “gardening leave” by utilising their free-annual-holiday-for-employees option. Holly chooses to go to a new retreat not so far from her place, so that she can rush home immediately in case things don’t work out. But at Pinewoods Retreat, she discovers that she isn’t the only one who needs healing, that it is better to resolve past trauma with the support of others, and that “gardening leave” can sometimes turn into literal gardening.
The story comes to us in Holly’s third person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🍀 Holly’s character: Her transition from wallflower to an independent thinker comes out beautifully, making this seem almost like a ‘coming of age’ novel. I love how she wasn’t written as a typical naïve girl, but as someone who has the imagination to think beyond the obvious, the ability to make friends, as well as sharp business acumen.
🍀 The concept of ‘garden’, which isn’t just a part of the title but is active throughout the story, whether through the ‘gardening leave’ that Holly is forced to take, or her gardening memories with her grandfather, or of her gardening endeavours at Pinewoods. Even beyond the literal meaning, ‘garden’ can be seen as a metaphor for the experiences of some of the people at Pinewoods. As someone with a black thumb, all the green content was balm to my soul.
(Editing to Add: Some of my friends below seem very excited to read about 'gardening leave'. So just to clarify, it isn't exactly something to aspire to, unless voluntary. Here's its definition from Wikipedia:
'Garden leave (also known as gardening leave) is the practice whereby an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll.')
🍀 The incorporation of mental health issues, such as Holly’s PTSD and panic attacks, as well as Bex’s and Ruth’s complex emotions. I appreciate how the focus is more on the aftermath of the trauma than the trauma itself, making this story a journey of healing than of digging into the pain. For a debut novel, the themes are surprisingly restrained.
🍀 Holly's journal entries, that appear at regular interludes in between her third person narration. A creative way of letting us know where she is mentally without any extended first-person rambling.
🍀 The other female characters at the resort: San, Bex, Ruth, Dee and Lorraine. All strong characters with a distinct personality and an important role to play in the proceedings. Their interactions with Holly highlight the benefit of support and friendship.
🍀 The lessons, the most important one being that no one should be judged at face value. It also shows the importance of standing up for yourself, seeking help when needed, having your own support system, and changing your routine when you want a fresh start.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌿 Pinewood needs a gardener. Holly is jobless and loves gardening. So it doesn't take a genius to figure out where the story is going to end, though it takes a surprisingly long time for things to fall in place. That said, no one reads this genre wanting twists and thrills. The journey is more important, and in this case, despite the predictability, the journey offers enough of enjoyment.
Bookish Nays:
🌵 The two prominent male characters in the story, three if you count the BLT fellow, fall flat in comparison to the females. Dylan, the unethical journalist, is as cliched as can be. Hunter is meant to be the love interest, but his approach towards Holly is more annoying than adorable. (More on this below.)
🌵 The romance isn’t convincing. I get why the book has romance – many readers feel that a women’s fiction is incomplete without romance. Not for me though. I’d rather have the FMC “feel good” on her own merit than because she found someone to swoon over. That said, I still root for couples who are written well. In this story though, the Hunter-Holly dynamics are strangely unsteady. Hunter’s random blow-hot-blow-cold attitude was irksome and unjustified, making their ‘relationship” seem abrupt and weak.
🌵 Minor complaint: The title is a bit cheesy, sorry.
All in all, despite the teeny flaws, this is still a story that delivers to the right reader. It is not exactly a light read, but a good option when you want something soothing and emotional. It will also work for those readers who want to try a self-help book without reading a self-help book, as it has so many positive life lessons to offer.
Definitely recommended to fans of women’s fiction. This type of story is not much my kind of read any more, but it fulfils what it promises, and that’s what matters.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to UCLan Publishing, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for the DRC of “Garden of Her Heart”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Garden of Her Heart.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
May 23, 2024
– Shelved
May 23, 2024
– Shelved as:
arcs-not-started
June 3, 2024
–
Started Reading
June 14, 2024
– Shelved as:
3-75-stars
June 14, 2024
– Shelved as:
good-book-but-not-my-type
June 14, 2024
– Shelved as:
netgalley
June 14, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 50 (50 new)
date
newest »
message 1:
by
theliterateleprechaun
(new)
Jun 14, 2024 12:28PM
A mandatory gardening leave!? 🤨 Your bookish yays are good.
reply
|
flag
An inspiring and heartwarming review. So happy to see that the green component was such a blessing for you. So true that fiction can provide self-help. 🤗
Wonderful review, Rosh! Seems like this debut novel tackles some important themes and does it well. Appreciate the lessons in one of your bookish yays. It's helpful.
Have to admit the title is a bit cheesy, but it seems the cover and plot more than made up for it. Unnecessary romance in women's fiction is not preferable to me either. Glad you had a good time with this one, Rosh, even if it's not usually your cup of tea! Great review.
This sounds quite heartwarming. Mental health is often ignored, issues pushed to the back because dealing with them means having to face that they exist at all. Glad that this novel did justice to the topic. Holly's growth and self help journey is remarkable.
Terrific review, Rosh!
Terrific review, Rosh!
I want a gardening leave too! *waving* Pick me, pick me! 😆
I am glad this turned out to be a comforting book addressing uncomfortable topics. Also, I agree with you that "women's fiction" does not have to contain romance. Wonderful review, Rosh!
I am glad this turned out to be a comforting book addressing uncomfortable topics. Also, I agree with you that "women's fiction" does not have to contain romance. Wonderful review, Rosh!
I think most people have a good understanding of how important mental health actually is nowadays. The protagonist’s character arc seems done remarkably well.
And the gardening seems like it was just what she needed to grow as a person. It’s quite relaxing too. Even the Beatles used to sing about how fulfilling gardening can be: “doing the garden, digging the weeds. Who could ask for more?” Shame about the male characters though. Good review, soul gardener Rosh :)
And the gardening seems like it was just what she needed to grow as a person. It’s quite relaxing too. Even the Beatles used to sing about how fulfilling gardening can be: “doing the garden, digging the weeds. Who could ask for more?” Shame about the male characters though. Good review, soul gardener Rosh :)
I debated a lot on this and let it go. I should have given it a try. Gosh, we need to stop writing those blow hot and cold guys and gals. They are NOT cute.
Lovely review, Rosh. :) Glad the rest was good.
Lovely review, Rosh. :) Glad the rest was good.
Excellent review Rosh! I’m glad it delivered as promised even if it still wasn’t a perfect fit for you!🩵
Your minor complaint made me laugh, IT IS CHEESY. Her employer is evil - you're fired but first, you have to take a mandatory gardening leave?? I love your review.
message 20:
by
Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile (recovering from
(last edited Jun 18, 2024 08:08AM)
(new)
-
added it
theliterateleprechaun wrote: "A mandatory gardening leave!? 🤨 Your bookish yays are good."
Not a good thing, Norma! But the yays are definitely good. :D
Not a good thing, Norma! But the yays are definitely good. :D
Darla wrote: "An inspiring and heartwarming review. So happy to see that the green component was such a blessing for you. So true that fiction can provide self-help. 🤗"
Thanks much, Darla! There's something soothing about such stories. :) 💙
Thanks much, Darla! There's something soothing about such stories. :) 💙
Nika wrote: "Wonderful review, Rosh! Seems like this debut novel tackles some important themes and does it well. Appreciate the lessons in one of your bookish yays. It's helpful."
Thanks so much, Nika! 💙 It certainly does a great job for a debut.
Thanks so much, Nika! 💙 It certainly does a great job for a debut.
Ridhima wrote: "Have to admit the title is a bit cheesy, but it seems the cover and plot more than made up for it. Unnecessary romance in women's fiction is not preferable to me either. Glad you had a good time wi..."
Very true, Ridhima. I wouldn't have grabbed this by title alone. But the mental health theme was tackled well. :)
Very true, Ridhima. I wouldn't have grabbed this by title alone. But the mental health theme was tackled well. :)
Kavya (on semi-hiatus for the entire month) wrote: "This sounds quite heartwarming. Mental health is often ignored, issues pushed to the back because dealing with them means having to face that they exist at all. Glad that this novel did justice to ..."
Thanks, Kavya! It's great that more and more books are exploring this theme. Talking about mental health issues needs to be normalised, and such fiction helps!
Thanks, Kavya! It's great that more and more books are exploring this theme. Talking about mental health issues needs to be normalised, and such fiction helps!
Alexandra wrote: "I want a gardening leave too! *waving* Pick me, pick me! 😆
I am glad this turned out to be a comforting book addressing uncomfortable topics. Also, I agree with you that "women's fiction" does not..."
No, no, Alexandra! you don't want it - trust me! :D
Glad you feel the same way about the romance. I want women's fiction to prove that we can have happy endings without arm candy by our side. ;)
I am glad this turned out to be a comforting book addressing uncomfortable topics. Also, I agree with you that "women's fiction" does not..."
No, no, Alexandra! you don't want it - trust me! :D
Glad you feel the same way about the romance. I want women's fiction to prove that we can have happy endings without arm candy by our side. ;)
hawk wrote: "I like the sound of gardening leave :)
(and, of course, gardening leaves!! ;))"
Gardening leaves is way more fun than gardening leave, Hawk. :D
(and, of course, gardening leaves!! ;))"
Gardening leaves is way more fun than gardening leave, Hawk. :D
Canadian Jen wrote: "I agree with you on the title being cheesy, Rosh. I think you've drawn a fair review."
Thanks, Jen! The title needs rework!
Thanks, Jen! The title needs rework!
Maureen wrote: "Sounds like some important lessons to be learnt Rosh, excellent review 💜"
Certainly, Maureen! Thanks much! 💙
Certainly, Maureen! Thanks much! 💙
Thibault wrote: "I think most people have a good understanding of how important mental health actually is nowadays. The protagonist’s character arc seems done remarkably well.
And the gardening seems like it was j..."
True, Thibault, but long way to go. There is no dearth of naysayers who still believe that mental health problems aren't genuine.
There's certainly much to gain if you have a green thumb.
Thank you kindly! :)
And the gardening seems like it was j..."
True, Thibault, but long way to go. There is no dearth of naysayers who still believe that mental health problems aren't genuine.
There's certainly much to gain if you have a green thumb.
Thank you kindly! :)
Srivalli wrote: "I debated a lot on this and let it go. I should have given it a try. Gosh, we need to stop writing those blow hot and cold guys and gals. They are NOT cute.
Lovely review, Rosh. :) Glad the rest w..."
I too debated it, Sri, but it kept calling to me somehow. But the guy needed a personality makeover. Who likes uncertainty in a life partner?! Sheesh!
Thank you! :)
Lovely review, Rosh. :) Glad the rest w..."
I too debated it, Sri, but it kept calling to me somehow. But the guy needed a personality makeover. Who likes uncertainty in a life partner?! Sheesh!
Thank you! :)
Kaceey wrote: "Excellent review Rosh! I’m glad it delivered as promised even if it still wasn’t a perfect fit for you!🩵"
Thanks much, Kaceey! A lucky hit for me! 💙
Thanks much, Kaceey! A lucky hit for me! 💙
Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "Your minor complaint made me laugh, IT IS CHEESY. Her employer is evil - you're fired but first, you have to take a mandatory gardening leave?? I love your review."
Hehe, it is very cheesy! :D
The employer is toxic, agree, but thankfully, they don't pop up later in the book. Thanks, Perse!
Hehe, it is very cheesy! :D
The employer is toxic, agree, but thankfully, they don't pop up later in the book. Thanks, Perse!
Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile) wrote: "Adding! This sounds wonderful as is your review! 💜"
Thanks, Sujoya! Hope you enjoy it even more! 💙
Thanks, Sujoya! Hope you enjoy it even more! 💙
Rosh (is rushing to catch up after the break!) wrote: "Who likes uncertainty in a life partner?! Sheesh!"
Exactly!
Exactly!
Wonderful review, Rosh . One to keep in mind when in need of a break from some of the books I normally read . Thanks.
Angela M wrote: "Wonderful review, Rosh . One to keep in mind when in need of a break from some of the books I normally read . Thanks."
Thanks, Angela! Definitely! It is not my typical reading choice as well, but works as a good palate cleanser. :)
Thanks, Angela! Definitely! It is not my typical reading choice as well, but works as a good palate cleanser. :)
LOL that title though, cheese galore! 🧀 However, I love this review Rosh, and the themes in it, especially of friendship and tackling important mental health topics. I'm happy the gardening stuff was balm to your soul. Lovely review!🌷💚🪴
Esta wrote: "LOL that title though, cheese galore! 🧀 However, I love this review Rosh, and the themes in it, especially of friendship and tackling important mental health topics. I'm happy the gardening stuff w..."
Hehe, I am glad I wasn't the only one to find it cheesy! I almost didn't grab the book because of the title! ;P Thankfully, the book was worth it to a great extent. Thanks so much, Esta! 💕
Hehe, I am glad I wasn't the only one to find it cheesy! I almost didn't grab the book because of the title! ;P Thankfully, the book was worth it to a great extent. Thanks so much, Esta! 💕