marshdr 's review for:

The Alchemy of Flowers: A Novel by Laura Resau
4.25
emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
If a mysterious garden surrounding an even more mysterious castle/chateau/manor that you can't leave in the south of France with a bit of magic and an overseer that you can never meet sounds interesting to you, this may be your book! Eloise decides to apply for a job in France to be the gardener at the Jardins du Paradis as a change to get away from the disaster of her life at home. After moving and meeting the aloof assistant Antoinette, Eloise isn't sure about her choice, but she resonates with her three direct coworkers (most especially Raphael). Each person has their own secrets that you discover throughout the story with major implications by the end of the book. 

I have to say, my favorite thing about this book was the author's description of the food and the gardens. While the characters were well developed and their stories were good, they honestly weren't my favorite part. Please just write a long description of a series of garden tours and associated meals and I'd be happy! Either way, I enjoyed this book and would recommend for the imagery alone. Trigger warnings though for death, miscarriage, and underage marriage. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced readers copy!
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