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A review by bringmybooks
The Last Garden In England by Julia Kelly
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Well, it's official. I'll read anything that Julia Kelly writes. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book that I've read of hers (Whispers of War & The Light Over London) and The Last Garden in England was no exception.
Her writing is compulsively readable - I did not want to set the book down and felt myself almost being carried from chapter to chapter. It's difficult to explain, but her writing is just so dang soothing.
I am a fan of dual timelines, and when done well the introduction of a third timeline is a welcome addition for me (I know this isn't the case for everyone!). I would say that Kelly wrote the timelines well, and the chapters work well with one another. I generally prefer one timeline over the other(s), but in this novel I found myself genuinely enjoying certain aspects of all three timelines to the point that I don't know if I could choose.
The garden design in the 1907 timeline was so interesting - and the descriptions! I couldn't get enough. The relationships in the WWII stood out more than anything else, and the romance in the present day timeline (plus the solving of the mystery!) was so well done.
Overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers of Historical Fiction!
Well, it's official. I'll read anything that Julia Kelly writes. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book that I've read of hers (Whispers of War & The Light Over London) and The Last Garden in England was no exception.
Her writing is compulsively readable - I did not want to set the book down and felt myself almost being carried from chapter to chapter. It's difficult to explain, but her writing is just so dang soothing.
I am a fan of dual timelines, and when done well the introduction of a third timeline is a welcome addition for me (I know this isn't the case for everyone!). I would say that Kelly wrote the timelines well, and the chapters work well with one another. I generally prefer one timeline over the other(s), but in this novel I found myself genuinely enjoying certain aspects of all three timelines to the point that I don't know if I could choose.
The garden design in the 1907 timeline was so interesting - and the descriptions! I couldn't get enough. The relationships in the WWII stood out more than anything else, and the romance in the present day timeline (plus the solving of the mystery!) was so well done.
Overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers of Historical Fiction!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage