Member Reviews
This was my first time reading a book by this author, & I really enjoyed it. I loved the setting,, & characters. Her style of writing brought them to life. Its a heartwarming cozy read
A beautifully written book about community spirit and the important things in life.
Uplifting and charming, I loved this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
A fun and sweet read. I love reading books like this to take a break from my thrillers.
This was just a feel good novel about friendship and would be a great pallet cleanser or beach read even.
Lonely widow, Ruby, decides to sell their house in Dublin and move into the huge holiday home her husband had built in the small seaside village where Ruby had grown up.
Soon after moving in, Ruby discovers the Moonlight Garden and the amazing people who form the Moonlight Gardening Club. A close neighbour Frankie couldn't be more different. Ruby has lived a luxurious life and is well off. Frankie is a single Mum living in an all but derelict cottage and is struggling to deal with the recent death of her Aunt, with whom she lived, as well as holding several jobs and looking after her son Dillon.
Ruby soon discovers that the Moonlight Gardening Club, was founded to remind its members that even on the darkest of nights, beauty and light can still be found. As they plant flowers chosen specially to be enjoyed under a carpet of stars in the gentle glow of moonlight, an unexpected friendship starts to bloom – It may well be just what they both need. That is, until past secrets are revealed!
An uplifting, cute, charming and tender piece of storytelling which I absolutely loved. I will definitely be looking for more from this author
This is a sweet story of making new friends. Ruby and Frankie are both lonely and discover the Moonlight Gardening Club. They are both from the same small Irish village and both have secrets they have been running from. They are very different, Ruby a widow and Frankie a single mom. How can their paths collide so dramatically. I never knew there were so many flowers that bloom at night and thrive in darkness. A nice bonus to a this well written story.
This charming novel, set in Ireland, follows the lives of two women, Frankie - a single mother struggling to make ends meet, and Rose - a widow struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband.
I liked both protagonists, Frankie works so hard to provide a good life for her son but, as is often the case, life keeps throwing curve balls at her. The gradual realisation that Rose’s marriage was far from idyllic was heartbreaking, I understood the controlling and coercive nature of her relationship long before she did - the put downs in front of friends, the gaslighting, it was awful to read.
As you would expect with a novel such as this, whilst there are plenty of hardships and upsets, there are happy-endings which, rather than being a cop-out, was something that I had hoped for Frankie and Rose.
I really enjoyed this one, hopefully a second one follows to clear up those loose ends.
I think this was the perfect book about relationships of all kinds not just the usual romantic relationships. Highly recommend.
This is a truly beautiful & sensitive Book about relationships both old & new, about life & death as humans & as plants . A garden that brings a Community & individuals together something hugely missing in recent times with the Pandemic etc. You will laugh, cry & get frustrated with many of the characters in this story but you will come away smiling & feeling good, so I highly recommend it . #Netgalley, #Goodreads,#FB,#Instagram,#Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.
I received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review.
I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. The mystery was gripping.
I really enjoyed this story, from the coastal setting to the widely varied characters and the gentle plot twist!
Dealing with the struggles of daily life, loss, health and wellbeing the moonlight garden is a fantastic place for the community to come together and support each other- I wish I lived near it!
Ruby has just lost her husband and is trying to make a way for herself, her future and to find who she is without him. Frankie is trying to be a single mum and is finding things a lot more difficult then she thought that she ever would. They both become friends when they meet at the Moonlight Gardening club, where they become best friends and help each other navigate the new worlds they have found themselves in. as you can imagine secrets are revealed over the storyline. This is a good read with some good characters too.
Ruby decides to make her summer house a permanent home after her husband dies suddenly. Frankie is struggling to raise a small child alone. They end up meeting at the local Moonlight Gardening Club and becoming friends. Ruby starts to realize that James wasn't the great husband she thought he was, and some secrets come up from the past that make her question everything. This was a nice story, a kind of feel-good read but with a not-perfect ending. These kinds of stories always make a part of me feel worse because everything ties up so neatly and nothing in my life does, but this one, while tied up pretty nicely, still had some difficulties for the characters to face in the future, which was a bit of a nice change. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
This was such a beautiful poignant read and think we all need a moonlight gardening club in our lives.
This was a book filled with loss love and laughter and how with the little help of friends and a shared love of gardening everything seems better and the world becomes a much nicer place.
This was my first book by this author and will look out for more of their books. Would love a sequel to this one to see where the characters journeys take them next.
I loved this book. It has great characters and a believable story line . I just wanted to join in and plant something. Highly recommended
Told from the dual perspectives of Ruby and Frankie, both trying to deal with events of the past. Although they only met when Ruby moves back to where she grew up, little do they know there is a far deeper connection in the past. An emotional story, but full of heart.
A heartwarming read set somewhere in Ireland. Mostly about relationships and friendship across generations. Although it is a fairly easy read, it does give you food for thought too . This is no fairytale, there are some serious issues in the book too such as the growing awareness of Ruby about her 30+ year marriage and letting people into your life. The plot was mostly fairly predictable . I would like to read more about the people in the town, my curiosity was piqued by some of the minor characters. There is lots of information about gardening and wildlife, Rosie Hannigan knows her stuff and has researched it well. That added interest for me.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
This book is just filled with friendship, community and kindness. An absolutely wonderful and uplifting story and made my heart happy.
Ruby has returned to Castletown Cove eighteen months after her husband, James, died.
Frankie, single Mum and widow is struggling to make ends meet in a cottage that's falling down. Dillon, her son, is her whole world. But she still dreams of more than cleaning holiday lets for her future.
Despite a rocky beginning, Ruby, Frankie and Dillon soon become close friends. And the Moonlight Gardening Club brings Ruby into the bosom of the close knit community.
Long buried secrets threaten to jeopardise the close bond Frankie and Ruby have formed, and Ruby is beginning to see that her marriage was far from idyllic. When she falls ill, the community rallies round her, and her and Frankie repair their friendship.
This book is about second chances, forgiveness and friends that become family. It's beautifully written, it made me smile, and cry and I definitely want more from this author.
Very sweet - a lovely read about love, friendship, loss and community. Both Ruby and Frankie’s were complex, likeable characters and I enjoyed their alternate story telling. Their difficult start to their relationship unfolded beautifully with a twist I didn’t anticipate. I don’t want to give spoilers but I was frustrated with Ruby at times and am pleased that the author left some loose ends.
This was a lovely story with lots going on. Sadness, relationships and a few surprises along the way. Set in Ireland in the present day this book is left hanging at the end which makes me wonder if there will be another one. I do hope so as I would love to find out what happens to all the characters. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.