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A review by bookmadjo
The Garden of Forgotten Wishes by Trisha Ashley
5.0
This was such a lovely read, and I found myself almost entranced not only by the characters, but by the fictional location where the book is set. There is a little bit of everything in this fantastic book, from emotionally damaged people trying to find themselves again, to eccentric and interesting villagers, to wonderful ice cream flavours (and there are even a few recipes at the back of the book), to stunning locations that take your breath away, and to historical mysteries that will keep you guessing until the end.
The burgeoning friendship between Marnie and her former college friend and now boss Ned is perfect. There is so much symmetry between their experiences, that it can’t help but bring them together. This book is so much more than a romance though. There was certainly a mystical element to the book throughout, not only in the perfection of nature within the garden, but also around the village, and amongst the other characters. If you have read The Christmas Invitation by Trisha you will love to see a few familiar characters crop up in this new location, which is very close to the location in that book, but it must be said that this book is a standalone story where you absolutely do not need to have read the previous book.
I loved the historical element to the story, it fitted so perfectly with the garden, and the way in which the garden had evolved in the same way that the families had evolved over time. The mysteries held my attention, and the descriptions were so vivid that I found I was so completely immersed in this story that I felt like an onlooker, unable to look away (or put the book down). The way in which Trisha Ashley builds the worlds that her characters live in feels so effortlessly perfect, and I find her books give me such a feel-good experience that I forget the real world for a while, and what more could you want from a book?
One final thought must be to the fact that although I love pets in books, I must confess that it is no secret that I am a dog person, and people who know me know how much cats unnerve me. However, Caspar the cat in this story was so wonderful, that I found myself wanting a Russian-speaking character of a cat in my life! He was completely and utterly the most perfect pet accompaniment in the book!
This is a delightful pleasure of a book, which gave me a love for gardening that I never knew I had, and made me want to head in search of fairies.
The burgeoning friendship between Marnie and her former college friend and now boss Ned is perfect. There is so much symmetry between their experiences, that it can’t help but bring them together. This book is so much more than a romance though. There was certainly a mystical element to the book throughout, not only in the perfection of nature within the garden, but also around the village, and amongst the other characters. If you have read The Christmas Invitation by Trisha you will love to see a few familiar characters crop up in this new location, which is very close to the location in that book, but it must be said that this book is a standalone story where you absolutely do not need to have read the previous book.
I loved the historical element to the story, it fitted so perfectly with the garden, and the way in which the garden had evolved in the same way that the families had evolved over time. The mysteries held my attention, and the descriptions were so vivid that I found I was so completely immersed in this story that I felt like an onlooker, unable to look away (or put the book down). The way in which Trisha Ashley builds the worlds that her characters live in feels so effortlessly perfect, and I find her books give me such a feel-good experience that I forget the real world for a while, and what more could you want from a book?
One final thought must be to the fact that although I love pets in books, I must confess that it is no secret that I am a dog person, and people who know me know how much cats unnerve me. However, Caspar the cat in this story was so wonderful, that I found myself wanting a Russian-speaking character of a cat in my life! He was completely and utterly the most perfect pet accompaniment in the book!
This is a delightful pleasure of a book, which gave me a love for gardening that I never knew I had, and made me want to head in search of fairies.