All the Pretty Places is set at a family nursery in Rye, NY during the Financial Panic of 1893. Families were losing their financial standing and the Fremds, though well-established, were not far behind. Would the business be saved? Would love triumph over necessity? Would the main character, Sadie Fremd, be able to share the hope she found in flowers and the beauty of natural spaces with the have-nots as well as with the haves?

The book was perfectly positioned to explore each of the questions it raised but failed to do so in a fulsome way. The writing was okay and I kept wanting to fall in love with the story but it just never happened. The main problem for me was that though the situation evolved, the characters themselves showed very little change; they lacked dimension.

I was particularly interested in reading about the establishment of public parks and wish there had been more on this. There was some and I enjoyed those parts very much. On the plus side, having had my appetite whetted, I look forward to learning more about the public park movement of the time.

Thank you to HarperMuse and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read All The Pretty Places in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie has grown up loving plants and helping her father’s nursery. With the grim economy Sadie’s father is determined she marry and have a fortune and man she can rely on. What her father doesn’t know is Sadie has fallen in love with Sam, one of her father’s workers. With businesses closing and families leaving Sadie is feeling more and more pressure to marry, even if none of the men can stand up to Sam. Will Sadie end up giving into her father’s wishes and marry, even if it it isn’t a love match? Or will she make her way on her own terms?

With a beautiful blend of horticulture, this was such a wonderful read! I highly recommend this for any historical fiction fan!

A seamless blend of fact and fiction, this story is a tribute to the real life story of Ms. Callaway's ancestors. Her love for their story shimmers through the beautiful prose that appeals to the senses, transporting readers to the lush gardens of the Gilded Age.

One young woman is raised in the family's nursery business that designs gardens for the wealthy. As Sadie strives to prove herself worthy to become her father's successor, she finds that there are many obstacles to overcome if she is to retain the family legacy.

I absolutely adored Sadie's grit and determination, but also her awareness and heart for others. The author does not hesitate to address the discrepancies between the rich and poor of the era, by introducing topics of homelessness and deep poverty. As the lengthening shadows of the financial collapse are felt closer to home, Sadie becomes aware of how the failing economy, industry and capitalism are affecting those in her neighborhood, becoming more active in trying to relieve the despair and hopelessness felt by the poor.

With an engaging cast of characters and a well-paced plot, this story of love and family will delight readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A bit of a slow starter with the romantic action as it very slowly builds tension between the two main characters, but the plight of destitute people at this period in time is eye-opening and vivid. The scientific names of the numerous plants and flowers can be a bit overwhelming, but many of the garden images conjured are lovely. LEss historical fiction and much more horticulture, though some key historical figures do make some brief, though significant cameos and are rather helpful at critical times.
The main characters also fall a bit flat in character development, with most of it falling merely to Sadie’s rigid father, who later is humbled and comes around to better understanding his daughter. But the plight of the main character and the less advantaged characters is keenly felt, and it’s easy for the reader to feel eager for the success of Sadie in love and gardening, with her dreams of running the plant nursery for her father. The ending will be satisfying to romantics who prefer all to be well. “All souls are worthy of beauty” is the basic romantic premise and the deep desire of Sadie whose eyes are opened to the need for hope in the shape of a garden or park with beautiful flowers and forestry. This book is for fans of romantic drama and gardening, where they will find a satisfying ending.


I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. All opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the publisher or its affiliates or the author.

ALL THE PRETTY PLACES by JOY CALLAWAY is a really deightful novel that takes place in Rye New York in 1893. It is based on the lives of some of the author’s ancestors.
It is the story of “all the pretty places” landscaped and planted by the Fremd family of Rye Nurseries. The descriptions of the plants and flowers is so realistic that one can almost see and smell them!
Sadie Fremd’s obsessive love of plants and her desire to run the nursery on her father’s retirement make her different from the other young ladies in society. Her father’s refusal to allow her to take over the nursery, and his deterination that she marry one of her wealthy suitors, make her very unhappy, especially as she is in love with Sam Jenkins who works with her at the nursery.
When her father finds out that Sadie and Sam are responsible for the anonymous planting of little gardens to bring some joy into the lives of people in the direst of circumstances, things reach a head…….
I like the way Sadie cares for the poor and wants to bring the joy of flowers into their lives. I like to see her courage and deterrmination and her willingness to sacrifice for those she loves.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I highly recoend this lovely book for the great story, unforgettable characters and subtle Christian message runnng through it.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Harper Muse. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely adored this gem of a novel. I love Edith Wharton and her books, so it was a real treat for me to read about this time period.

Sadie Fremd is an independent, strong-minded young heiress who is resisting her father’s demands that she marry a man of her own class.

Determined to make her own life decisions, Sadie has to choose between an easy life or the challenging potential dangers of going her own way.

I loved how this book emphasizes community, friendship, and family,

I will be recommending it to my podcast listeners. A podcast episode featuring this novel will be released on our around this book’s publication date.

Link to podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6d2Y4FA6LRS0LxFHh9L8Z2?si=Z1GFNEsqS0G4EHXXwu89TQ

This was my first book by Joy Callaway and will not be my last. In fact I feel the urge to binge her backlist!
With lyrical prose that sucks you in and a love story that endears you to the characters throughout you cannot help but get sucked into this story.
I do believe I will need to read Sadie and Sam's story many times over.

What a beautiful story based on family stories and history from Joy. I loved this story of a strong woman who did not want to conform to the "norm" in the late 1800s high society. Wonderful characters, wonderful story and beautiful writing!!!

Sadie captured my heart from the first page and I loved her story so much. Do not miss the author notes AFTER you finish the book...amazing!!!

A stellar Historical novel that is based on the author's own family history.
With impeccable story telling we are in the midst of the gilded age, New York City. Picture the towering hotels such as the Plaza, take in the smells of the restaurants lining the Upper East Side. And what do all of these locations still have in common? Flowers. Flowers adorn the tables, the stairs, the lamps, the entrances, everywhere, the sweet scent of fresh blooms. Flowers that have to come from somewhere.
Sadie has grown up in the society her family's business caters too. It is only natural she sees herself as part of society and not just a cog in the machine of pomp and circumstance. Cementing a suitor in the upper crust will take her even further.
All while trying to convince her father, that as a woman, she can and wants to take over the family's greenhouse enterprises.
The author could have glazed over details of botany and horticulture, but she doesn't and it makes the novel grossly enriching to all the senses.
All The Pretty Places is more than just a pretty cover.

I found this book to be a solid story. It was interesting to read about this time period with a main focus on the nursery and gardens during this time period. Sadie was unfortunately not the most engaging main character and grated on the nerves at times. I did find it interesting that she is based on the author's own ancestor so that helped get past some of the annoyingness. I always enjoy a good description of clothing and attitudes during this time period as well. Overall an okay read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Much appreciation to Net Galley and Harper Muse and Harper Muse Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audio book.

Sadie Fremd, daughter of the owner of a large nursery in Rye, New York during the Gilded Age. Sadie grew up loving plants and flowers and working alongside her father. Despite this era of women being married the the "right man" from the "right family" Sadie fell in love with the man who worked for her father and loved plants as much as she did. This was also the era when women didn't work, so her brothers were expected to take over the family business. However, they didn't know plants like she and her father did. Try as he might, Sadie was refusing all the proposals her father set up for her. She only wanted to run the nursery and build gardens for areas around the city where the poor were suffering from poverty, pollution and nothing to bring joy in their lives. Sadie was unique for her time. This story is based on the author's ancestors, which makes it more inspiring!

I found the beginning of the book to be so slow that I thought I wouldn’t finish reading it. Even as the story line progressed, I thought it could use more editing because so many scenes were repetitive. I just couldn't get into the Sadie character with her seaming endless efforts to her father to let her run the business.

I did enjoy learning about the nursery part. I agreed about the need the poor people had for parks and how Central Park was only for the rich. I enjoyed reading about the Gilded Age with the dresses and parties

While this was an enjoyable book, though the main character, Sadie, was a bit annoying and self-centered, as well as naive, at times. The detailing on the gardens is interesting, as was the glimpse of life in the 1890s. I really enjoyed the author's note, as well as the positive message overall.

I’ve been trying to read a bit out of my go to genres and choose this historical fiction/romance novel based on the life of the author’s great-great-grandmother.

Set during the Panic of 1893, it is the story of one of the first female business women of those times. Sadie Fremd loves working at her family’s large nursery which services many of the Gilded Age families such as the Goulds. Her garden designs are sought after and she hopes to someday take over the family business. Her father has other plans for her. Fearing that his business could go bust at any time, he wants her to marry one of her wealthy suitors and be set for life. Sadie, though, is in love with Sam, a talented employee with whom she would like to operate the nursery.

This was a time when families lost their fortunes overnight, when the destitute were homeless or living in crowded fetid tenements. The disparity between the rich and the poor was heartbreaking, as it still is today. Sadie is moved by their plight and the fact that public parks in those times were only for the rich. She is determined to address that injustice.

Beautifully descriptive and presenting a good portrait of the times, this is a sweet, almost magical story. This was a fast read, mostly because I didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy! Sadie's family has a nursery/farm in Rye NY, it is 1893, the Gilded Age. As a female, she is expected to marry well, and she has many suitors. But she loves the nursery and is very talented, and all she wants to do is take over the family business, and marry one of the men who works on the farm. Her father forbids her to do so, but then some things take place which may change things. My favorite part of the book was reading the author's note, this is loosely based on her family history. #alltheprettyplaces #joycalloway #thegildedage #historicalnovel #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #netgalley #advancedreaderscopy

Unfortunately did not finish this book. However it had significant potential. Ultimately wasn’t for me

Interesting story of a woman who wants to take over the family farm since her brothers are not interested but her father does not believe that a woman belongs in business.

I really enjoyed this book about a young woman in the Gilded Age, in love with plants and flowers, who is prevented from following her passion (and from pursuing the man she loves) simply because she is expected to find a suitable rich man to marry. It may not be a unique theme, but it is very well done here, and the descriptions of the flowers and gardens was lovely. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

All The Pretty Places is a beautiful story placed in the Guilded age in Rye, New York. Sadie is the daughter of a well known horticulturist & a woman of prestige and desire for many eligible bachelors. But her true love, is the one thing that is just out of reach. Will Sadie put her heart aside for her family or continue to follow her heart and dreams? This is my 1st novel by @joywcal but won’t be my last. The landscape descriptions placed me in this small town during the 1800s. I could feel Sadie’s emotions and understand her desires and wants, her struggles. All The Pretty Places releases May 9, 2023. Thank you to @netgalley & @harpermusebooks for this advance readers copy. 🌷🌷🌷

This one was difficult for me to get through. The prose is good, and the story was honestly interesting, but it just moved incredibly slowly. Even the major defining event near the end was almost anticlimactic. I liked the main female character, but couldn't really get into any of the others. The love story I think should have been developed more from its beginning, rather than us coming in when Sam returned to the nurseries. I just didn't find it believable enough to drive the rest of the story.