If you are a fan of Rhys Bowen, this new book will not disappoint.
She again shows her mastery of character development and intriguing storyline.
A strong woman leaves her privileged life style to make a difference in the war effort.
There is love, and anguish in this book. Enough to keep a reader engaged and satisfied.

Thank you to Rhys Bowen and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Victory Garden. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to friends.

3.5 stars

Rhys Bowen is a storyteller and this undemanding novel brings us the story of Emily Bryce, a well-brought up but rebellious young woman who is coming of age during the Great War. After her only brother is killed, her parents restrict her life and acceptable activities and Emily decides to escape. When she turns 21, she enlists in the Women's Land Army without their knowledge or consent and leaves home to help work in the fields in the absence of the working class men and field hands in England who are off fighting.

This ruptures her relationship with her snobby family, but Emily proves to herself that she is worthwhile, and finds friendship with the other women. The novel expounds on a dramatic turn that her life takes and how she grows from a spoiled young rich woman into a capable adult. The story and characters are entertaining, if not particularly in depth. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Victory Garden. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Emily Bryce is determined to ignore her parents and volunteer for the war effort. A chance meeting with an injured Australian pilot gives Emily the push she needs to become independent. Desiring to be a nurse like her best friend, Emily soon discovers that her lack of usable skills make this an impossibility. Volunteering to be a land girl for the Women's Land Army, Emily finds herself living a very different sort of life than her formerly privileged one. As the war rages on, how will Emily cope with the challenges that befell her?

Having read countless historical fiction novels about the Great War, I was excited about the prospect of reading The Victory Garden. Although I did like Emily Bryce, especially in regards to the strength of her convictions, the author weakened the plot of the book with the inclusion of a romantic relationship. Had the book been focused solely on the efforts of women during the war, the novel would have made a larger impact. Furthermore, the plot was muddied with a particular side plot regarding Emily that was just not necessary to the story as a whole. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Victory Garden to other readers.

This was an enjoyable read. I found the characters to be strongly developed and enjoyed the storyline. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A beautiful and character driven story that will pull at the reader's heartstrings. It is set in a time of struggle and turmoil, in a very memorable setting. There are numerous themes including love, heartache, war, choices, perseverance and moving on. It is touching and heartfelt, a story that will stay with you long after you close the book.

Well done! This book was amazing. I just finished spending all day and most of the night reading this and I felt the world the author created was so real. The story grabbed me so much, and I just really enjoyed this book. Thank you for such a beautifully crafted story.

2.5 stars
As a fan of Rhys Bowen’s various mystery series and IN FARLIEGH FIELD, I was excited to read THE VICTORY GARDEN. It focuses on the last year of WWI in England and the sacrifices and loss that war often requires. Unfortunately, I found it to be overly dramatic, leaning too much into romance novel country, rushed at times, and relatively light on history.

The story follows 21 year old Emily as she struggles to find purpose in a world where it seems war will never end. Wanting to do her part for the war effort, and much to her parents’ consternation, she joins the Women’s Land Army. She soon finds her dreams of the future with Australian Royal Flyer Ronnie destroyed with him dead and her all on her own and pregnant. Readers follow along as she comes of age forging her own future.

I never really felt a connection with Emily and think that a lot of her adversity was a result of her own choices and actions. That might make me sound cold, but there it is. Everything seemed to fall in line for her a little too easily. There was so much potential for a really meaty, excellent tale here, but it fell flat.

I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Extremely well rounded characters make this book come alive. It was interesting to read a book that focuses on the women and how their lives changed because of the war. I felt as though I was living with them and experiencing life in England during WW1.

Usually, I love Rhys Bowen. However, I was underwhelmed after reading this novel. This is very similar to her previous book in Tuscan Field. There did not seem to be much originality in this novel which is sad because most of her novels are charming. Still, I recommend this for fans of WWII.

I had several books on my Kindle by this author yet to read, so when this book became available, I decided to request it and see if the author was as good as her reviews, and she was and then some! The ending of the book kept me reading into the night until I finished. As WWI continues to take its toll, headstrong, pampered twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She meets an injured fighter pilot in the hospital in a hospital next door who she falls in love with and to whom she becomes engaged. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of news about her fiance, they are her saving grace. Emily’s lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified—and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. She thinks her parents would disown her if they knew so she is determined to make it on her own. She discovers the journals of a herbal healer in the small cottage on the estate. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny. There were many twists in the plot deftly handled by the author, most of which took me by surprise. I highly recommend.

The Victory Garden is a very enjoyable book. It is not your typical war novel. Victory Garden revolves around a girl named Emily Bryce who when see turns 21 and can legally make her own decisions joins the Women's Lady Army in the final months of WWI. A few months prior to this she met an Australian pilot at a local hospital and defied her parents by getting in engaged to him. in the Fall of 1918 Emily found herself in a predicament of needing to look for a new home. A village accepted her and three of her fellow Lady Girls as their own.

While in her new home Emily discovered an old diary that contained herbal remedies, which she starts making. But there is a "curse" on her new home. This novel is a lovely story of people from varying backgrounds who in the most difficult of circumstances become their own family. It is also about how people can surprise us.

If you love the historical novel. especially war novels, but aren't looking for and action or spy novel this might be the one for you. It is a quick read and isn't a heavy novel.

I loved The Victory Garden so much! I read so many historical fiction books about WWII so I enjoyed a story about the first war. Emily Bryce is about to celebrate her 21st birthday and soon readers will discover secrets she has been hiding.

Another historical fiction by Bowen that offers a view into a part of World War II. This was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I love each and every one of Rhys' books!! I couldn't wait to read this one and it surpassed all my expectations!! Rhys writes historical fiction just for us readers who can't get enough!! I love her series books but I also LOVE her stand alones!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Rhys Bowen for an advance copy of this title in return for a honest review. A lovely quick read. Simple, if not predictable plot but the characters are strong, consistent and likeable. If you enjoy reading Kate Morton, this is like a lighter version. I am looking forward to reading The Tuscan Child.

I’m so glad I “judged this book by its (gorgeous) cover” and picked it up... because I truly ended up loving every last bit of it! It’s no secret that I read a ton of historical fiction, and I was so pleased with how fresh and new this one felt. Sometimes when you read so many books in the same genre, the stories can start to blend together and almost become stagnant... and I so appreciated the fact that this one brought something new to the table. Set during WWI, we follow the life of Emily, a young woman who wants something different than her predictable life determined by her family’s high class. Between unexpectedly falling in love with an Australian pilot, volunteering as “land girl”, and eventually learning of and becoming a medicine woman through a journal she finds, the course of her life changes in ways she never saw coming.

This is the first book I’ve read by Rhys Bowen and I can definitely say that it won’t be my last. I was blown away by the author’s rich and beautiful writing, which I got so wonderfully lost in. There was so much to offer in this exceptional read... an absorbing storyline, a setting that completely whisks you away, and a vast, unique group of characters that you so fully come to know and care deeply for. It was so interesting to walking alongside the characters and learn about life as part of the Women’s Land Army in WWI, something I hadn’t previously known about.

Overall a story of resilience, friendship and community, second chances, making your own way and fulfilling your dreams... this one was a clear winner for me, and gets all the stars.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Lake Union for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The story takes place in England during World War I when all able-bodied men were called to service. This left the women at home responsible for the maintenance of the farmlands, livestock, forges, etc. that are essential for the country's survival. The Women's Land Army consisted of women who were recruited to perform these critical tasks. Emily, the main character, joins in order to do her part and also escape her wealthy, overbearing parents. She meets and forms a close bond with women of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds. This was at a time when individuals of different social classes did not mix. The story follows the difficulties and rewards that Emily and her friends shared. I thought the book provided an excellent and realistic portrayal of those unfortunate times.

The Victory Garden is a poignant, sweet book that takes place at the end of WWI in England. Emily is just turning twenty-one as the book starts, and she at last has the legal standing to shake off her overprotective parents and really DO something for the war effort. Having already lost her brother, she feels the need to do something to honor him.

“I want to be useful. I want to do my bit, so that Freddie’s death was somehow not in vain.”

In the process of finding how she is going to do her bit, she (naturally) meets a dashing young pilot (Australian! Gasp!), falls in love, her lover dies a hero, and it turns out she’s pregnant.

All this is revealed in the blurb, so I picked it up thinking that it had to be more than just a romance since…well, you know. Hard to have a romance when one party is deceased, however heroically.

The “more” turns out to be the massive amount of growth and experience Emily goes through in less than a year. She becomes a “land girl,” – something I was not familiar with at all, and I think many Americans would be there with me. She stands up to her parents, who despite being protective are just as much about their own egos as they are about shielding her from heartbreak. She takes a chance on love, knowing that it will most likely end in heartbreak. In the process, she discovers the power of both independence and female friendships. Britain lost a large majority of their fighting age men in WWI, something I hadn’t honestly given much thought. The story really shows just how that loss changed – or at least how it began to change – societal roles for both genders.

The Victory Garden isn’t particular heavy on either history or romance. In fact, there could have been less of a romance and the story would have worked just as well. I knew going in that Emily’s dashing aviator was going to pass, as so many of them did at that time, so I went in willing myself to not get too invested. The history was interesting but not overwhelming in detail.

As far as the actual garden, there was SOME emphasis on it in the last half of the book, and a little tiny bit of a mystery involving an old journal Emily finds, but it was very…well, I wish had been more about the herbs and the garden. It seems like the title is a bit of a misnomer. 😛

Overall, 4/5 stars. I closed the book feeling a little sad, but hopeful for Emily’s future with her child.

One hundred years ago, our grand parents and great grand parents were embroiled in what they called “The Great War” or “The war to end all wars.” Bowen masterfully shows the depth of her research as she brings to life a little known part of the war effort in England.

It is May 1918. Emily the daughter of landed Gentry, writes to her friend, Clarissa. Emily longs to be more of service to her country than following the dictates of her class conscious mother. She meets a wounded flier for the RAF. Robbie is an Australian, a veteran of Galipoli; a honor bound rakish fellow who is smitten by Emily. The feeling is mutual. Her mother declares “Those uncouth Australians you invited to the party—what were you thinking child? And did it not occur to you to ask our permission first?” I admire Bowen's skill in capturing the essence of her characters using such skillful dialog.

Emily defies her parents and joins the Women's Land Army. Set with the task of producing the harvest which would overcome the German blockades. The Land Girls stepped into the place of the farm workers who were fighting or in many cases, among the war dead. Her training is intense, useful, exhausting. For the first time, she is exposed to women from all social classes. She loves being useful.

Bowen brings Emily to the main setting of the novel. She and her chosen helpers are to assist Lady Charlton who owns an estate at the edge of Dartmoor in the village of Buckley Cross. She is tasked with bringing the estate back to its former state. Without gardeners, the grounds have run wild, the gardens lie fallow. Without proper staff, the maintenance of the manor and cottages have fallen into disrepair. Buckley Cross becomes a metaphor for the devastation of war.

As the book unfolds, Emily continues to work with Lady Charlton. Her skills expand to cultivating an herb garden. She becomes a self taught herbalist who assists others though the use of tisanes and herbal lotions. All comes crashing down when she is accused of murder. Will she be condemned like prior herbalists? Will her parents continue to shun her? The life expectancy of a RAF pilot during WWI averaged a six weeks. Is this Robbie's fate? How will Buckley Cross survive without a generation of men lost to the horror of trench warfare?

Rhys Bowen is a master storyteller. The Victory Garden is a must read.

link to goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40792781-the-victory-garden
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