A Heartwarming Tale of Love and Determination

All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway is a captivating novel set in the Gilded Age, a time when marriage proposals were exchanged as casually as introductions. The story follows the headstrong protagonist, Sadie Fremd, who refuses to settle for anything less than marrying for love and securing her family’s nursery, where her true passion lies. Sadie’s unwavering determination and fiery spirit make her a compelling character that readers will undoubtedly root for.

One aspect that made this book particularly intriguing is it's based on the author’s true heritage. I find it fascinating when authors draw from their family history to craft an entertaining and enlightening novel. It adds a layer of authenticity to the story, making the characters and their struggles feel even more real.

However, it is worth noting that the narrative’s melancholic voice gives the book a different tone than expected. While this may have deviated slightly from the intended atmosphere, it did not deter me from immersing myself in the story. In fact, I found myself so engrossed that I spent seven consecutive hours listening to it while tackling my daily tasks.

All the Pretty Places ultimately delivers a sweet and heartfelt tale about fighting for one’s dreams and remaining loyal to loved ones, even when it requires sacrifices and compromises. This portrayal of true love, where one prioritizes the well-being of others above personal desires, is both moving and inspiring.

This book is perfect for those who appreciate historical fiction infused with genuine emotion.

Such a beautiful and powerful story about a woman finding her mission. Very inspirational!

4 stars from me!

2.5 stars

I was excited to listen to All The Pretty Places on audiobook - from the setting in the Gilded Age to the emphasis on plants and nature, it seemed like this would be a winning title. Unfortunately, this book fell a little flat for me. I struggled with how much time we spent inside Sadie's mind, listening to her internal dialogue about things. It kept me from feeling immersed in the time period and plot. While there were many instances of beautiful descriptions, such as the opulent dresses and gardens of the era, that rich visual imagery just didn't stay sustained throughout the whole narrative. The characters felt fairly flat and at times implausible - and I personally can't stand the trope of plots driven by miscommunication or lack of communication. For all that we readers know deeply what Sadie thinks and feels on certain topics, her family is at times ignorant or blatantly cutting off her chances to explain. I suspect many others will find this a lovely story with a strong female protagonist and rich descriptions, but it hit too many of my reading peeves for me to feel fully immersed in the story.

One redeeming point was the Author's Note at the end, which helped flesh out some of the personal family history behind this story, along with general historical details. I wish more of this could have been imbued into the actual story, because it did change my feelings towards the characters after the fact.

As an audiobook recording, I felt like the narrator was a good fit for this story. The pacing dragged for me, so I increased speed to 2x, which is a little faster than I usually listen. I enjoyed what Cassandra Campbell brought to the reading performance and would listen to her again!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the advanced audio copy of All The Pretty Places in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a fan of gardening and flowers and historical fiction, I think you'll love this book!

Sadie has loved her family's nurseries all her life. Growing and cultivating beautiful plants for the wealthy families in her town has been their livelihood and what brings her joy. However, as more families slip into the clutches of the depression, Sadie's father is determined to ensure a match for Sadie with a man of old money, who will always be able to care for her. She begs to run the nurseries, since her brothers are not interested, and she continues to turn down suitors to her father's dismay.

Meanwhile, she and her friend, Sam, who works in the nursery, discover they can provide a little hope for families who have lost everything. She finds love in more than one way but it is just beyond reach as the nurseries are ruined and her father has threatened to send her a continent away to his parents' house in Germany to punish her. Will her only choice be to marry a man she doesn't love for the sake of herself, her family and their loyal workers?

I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I really enjoyed it. It was a beautiful historical fiction with the strong woman who breaks the glass ceilings. She doesn't need a man to accomplish her goals. It was a beautiful spring book as I am planting my flowers and my garden. It is a book about doing the right thing and offering hope in whatever way you can.

Thank you to @harpermuse and @netgalley for an advanced audio copy of this book for a fair and honest review!

All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway is one of the best books of the year for me so far. And I have read over seventy, so I don't say that lightly. Very beautifully written, with all the right amounts of love, joy, sadness, and laughter. The characters were fleshed out and full of humanity. The story itself was very realistic and full of hope and life. I would give it more than five stars if I could! Thanks #NetGalley and the publishing company. I truly enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing access to this audiobook!

FIRST: this is not a romance. It is not allowed to be classified as such and she should have left Sam and her family behind. (Except Freddy)

The only likable character was the main character—Lily?—who tried so hard to help everyone and yet not one of her family or friends appreciated her efforts. Instead, they pressured her to go against her own values and belittled her efforts at helping others. In the end, she caves to their demands and then, after breaking her own heart in the process, they backtrack and destroy what she created from breaking her heart only to have the *surprised pikachu face* when she’s angry with them.

While the patriarchal BS and inherent sexism in the book were period appropriate, they were incredibly frustrating and really undermined the book’s premise. Lily becomes more of a tragic heroine who has to wait for others to rescue her from her problems—most of which the others created—and is treated like a puppet, including by the man who claims to love her and yet demeans her and constantly tells her that she never loved him since she didn’t run away with him and then turns around and says it was a blessing that she didn’t come with him because she wouldn’t have been able to hack it. Ugh. This was solidly in the historical fiction category and cannot be a romance when 90% of the plot is everyone shitting on the main character.

Very cute historical romance, that I just thought was a bit too long. I was bored around halfway through but I pushed through it cause I wanted our FMC to find her happy ending.

"All the Pretty Places" is a captivating historical fiction set in 1893, where Sadie Fremd strives to challenge societal norms and protect her family's legacy. As a powerful protagonist, Sadie defies expectations, finds true love, and evolves throughout the story. The book beautifully portrays romance that transcends obstacles and sacrifices, while shedding light on the struggles women of that time faced.

Joy Callaway skillfully weaves historical context and personal narratives, creating an immersive reading experience. I was drawn into Sadie's journey as she fought against societal constraints and sought to follow her passion for plants and nurseries. With themes of empowerment, love, and the pursuit of dreams, "All the Pretty Places" is a compelling tale showcasing its characters' resilience and determination in a world that undervalues them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance audio copy.

Very enjoyable read. Will be easy to recommend to many different kinds of readers. I’d like to read more from this author.

All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway and Narrated by Cassandra Campbell was an unbelievable journey!
I had an opportunity to have an advance copy of the audiobook and I am so grateful for this. The narrators made this book just magical! It felt so real, so aristocratic! The different accents! It felt so real, so alive! Truly thank you!
This book is about a young woman Sadie whose absolute passion is plants. Sadie, it's not like other women in 1893 who accepted that the only way for women is to get married and have children. Sadie wants to follow her heart. And it's not just about the man she will marry it's about the life she will live. She wants to be involved in every step of the plant nursery, she is not scared to get her hands dirty and she wants to create beauty around to make people happy. Unfortunately, this is not how her father sees her life. Sadies father is stubborn and wishes to follow the traditional path, he wants a wealthy man to marry his daughter and potentially run the nursery.
This book is about women struggling to find their voice, struggles, and sacrifices, about broken hearts and acceptance.
As an independent woman, I struggled to understand how little man was thinking about women in those days. The idea that just man can succeed just made me furious! How it's possible for a parent to be so stubborn and not hear his own child was my question throughout the book!
Even though this is a historical romance, it's beautiful and for sure a "Must Read Book"!
#AllthePrettyPlaces #NetGalley #HarperMuse

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book.
I love listening to audiobooks. I can walk and walk and get into the story. Imagine my surprise when this book, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, has the same narrator as the book I had just finished. I found her irritating in the first book and I found her irritating in this book. Plus, I sometimes thought I was in the previous book.
It's very hard to judge a book properly when the narrator does such a bad job of so many voices.

This story takes place in what is now known as "the Gilded Age" when New York had a class system similar to Britain.
In 1893, the economy is entering a depression. Sadie, the daughter of a man who runs a beautiful flower nursery, loves working in the nursery. It's all she wants to do with her life. And she is in love with a commoner. Neither is acceptable to her father who has worked so hard to climb up the ladder of society.

I found the story interesting. There was no surprise to it and I was a little disappointed that Sadie kept thinking her father would allow her to run the nursery if she just asked in the right way. Would a woman of that time really believe that? I think it didn't help that the narration made her sound like a valley girl.

In the acknowledgments, the author tells us that this story is based on real-life in her great-grandmother's generation. Was there someone like the fictional Sadie?

All The Pretty Places by Joy Callaway was a captivating novel that took place during the Guilded Age in a town called Rye located in Westchester County in New York. I grew up in Westchester County and know the town of Rye well so I was quite curious to read a book set in this location. I was originally attracted by the beautiful cover of this book but I quickly came to appreciate Joy Calloway’s impeccable research, compelling characters and engaging plot she incorporated into her novel. All The Pretty Places was inspired by Joy Callaway’s own great-great grandmother’s story. I listened to the audiobook of All the Pretty Places. It was narrated by Cassandra Campbell who is one of my favorite narrators. Her performance was amazing. I was very impressed with Joy Callaway’s masterful storytelling.

Sadie Fremd’s parents began their marriage working in the factories of New York and living in tenement housing. They knew what it was like to be poor. Her father had immigrated from Germany and could not speak a word of English when he first arrived in America. Sadie’s mother and father fell hopelessly in love. They were given the opportunity to start a plant nursery in Rye, New York. With lots of hard work, Rye Nursery prospered and thrived. The Fremd’s employed about sixty workers most of whom were of Italian or Irish descent. Her father offered his workers their own cottages and established a sense of community for them. Sadie’s parents had three children together, two sons and a daughter. They were able to give their children a comfortable upper middle class life. Then two unexpected things happened. The first thing that happened was that Sadie’s mother died. Then the Crash of 1893 occurred. That panic of 1893 preceded a depression. It changed the lives of many that resided in the small town of Rye, New York.

Growing up, Sadie shadowed her father everywhere he went. Sadie had a natural instinct toward the everything pertaining to the nursery. She listened so intently to everything her father conveyed to her brothers or on a rare occasion to herself. As Sadie grew into womanhood, she dreamed of someday taking over the nursery and running it. She knew her brothers had no interest whatsoever in taking over the business. Sadie faced two major obstacles. The first was that upon her mother’s death, her mother had made her father promise her that he would see that Sadie married well and would be properly taken care of. The second challenge was that women did not run and operate businesses. Women were expected to marry, have children and take care of the children and the running of the home. Sadie was determined to do both, marry for love and run the family business. She had received several proposals of marriage but she had turned them all down. Sadie was not willing to marry someone she did not love. This caused a lot of friction between herself and her father. Her father was worried about the possibility of losing the nursery due to the crash. He wanted to see Sadie settled and well taken care of.

There had been a particular suitor that was expected to be at a particular social event in New York City and so Sadie’s father insisted that she attend that particular gala. Sadie’s father accompanied her and served as her chaperone. Father and daughter took the train from Rye into New York. Once they arrived in New York City they were forced to take alternative routes to get to the address they were seeking. Their route took Sadie and her father through neighborhoods they would not have normally ventured into. For the first time in her life, Sadie witnessed how people less fortunate than her lived. She saw the factories, tenements, muck, sludge and despair. That trip was instrumental in helping Sadie formulate a plan to someday create a park for those that were less fortunate than her. It opened her eyes and expanded her outlook. She would later surprise a select few and plant a small garden with the sole purpose of bringing a touch of happiness into those people’s lives.

As the effects of the panic of 1893 continued to impact the businesses in Rye, Sadie’s father presented her with an ultimatum. She was to pick a husband from the two men her father saw as good matches for her. Little did Sadie’s father or brothers realize that Sadie and Sam were very much in love. Sam worked for her father. It would be scandalous to marry someone who worked for her father. Sadie and Sam were from two different backgrounds. The members of the elite and wealthy families would have never accepted Sadie’s choice. Sadie was determined to stand her ground. Somehow Sadie hoped to marry Sam. She would not marry anyone she did not love. Sadie’s father threatened to send her to Germany to live with her grandparents if she did not choose one of the suitors he had picked for her. Just as Sadie was willing to accept her fate of living in Germany for the inconceivable future something so unexpected happened. A twister touched down in Rye and destroyed so much of Rye Nursery. What would happen now? They were ruined. What was Sadie to do now? What would become of Sadie and Sam?

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway. This was the first book that I have read by her but I am looking forward to reading more books by her in the future. I really admired Sadie’s character. She was smart, determined, strong willed, creative and ambitious. She was forward thinking and not willing to compromise her goals and aspirations just because there were preconceived assumptions about what she was expected to do. I enjoyed reading all the vivid descriptions of the varied flowers and the scents that they brought. All the Pretty Places explored the themes of family, loyalty, class distinctions, romance, horticulture and community. I enjoy reading books set in this time period and All the Pretty Pieces was no exception. If you enjoy historical fiction set during the Guilded Age with a touch of romance, then I recommend this book very highly.

Thank you to Harper Muse for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC audiobook from Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this one! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I just loved the main character, Sadie. Her love for gardening and plants is so inspiring. I enjoyed reading about her gardening and standing up to her father regarding who she was to marry. I loved that this wasn't just focused on the romance. It had a lot of depth with other characters and other events happening.

Sadie has been in love with her family's nurseries since was born. She also has been in love with her best friend since the moment she knew what love was. Now she risks losing both of them. Set in Rye, New York in 1893. Sadie Fred's dreams hinge on her family's nursey making it through an economic depression. Her family's nursey's have been the main suppliers for respected landscape architect's on the East Coast for decades. Now her father is pressured to secure her future by marrying a wealthy man who can also invest in the nursey's.
Will Sadie get to marry for love and save her family's nursery? Or will she ultimately have to sacrifice love for her first love (the nurseries)?

Read if you enjoy:
Gardening, flowers, landscaping
Romance
Forbidden love
Strong MFC

Sadie is the type of person that is passionate about her work and will go above and beyond to help others. I could just picture the gardens she helped designed and took care of. I loved how the romance was subtle at first and built up through the book. Sadie chose her passion over love and was determined to show her dad she could continue the business. It was a touchy subject for her dad as he believed she had the knowledge, but he wanted her to be secure in life by marrying someone who can support her financially. There were small random acts of kindness and some twist that kept me engaged. Sadie had a lot of setbacks and truly had to decide between her own happiness and the well being and success of her family. I ended up listening to the audio and the narrator really brought Sadie’s personality to life. I think the connection and weight of her decisions made it more emotional than if I was just reading it.

Thank you @harpermusebooks @joywcal and @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

This was an interesting historical fiction with a little romance and some light Christian fiction mixed in. I find the gilded age a fascinating time period to read about and always enjoy learning more, especially from a woman’s perspective, about that era.

This book focuses on a strong willed young lady who desired a life different than what was expected. There are trials and tribulations that occur from things like financial crises and even natural disasters, There was almost always a sense of unease but an underlying hope to keep emotions level.

I found the story compelling and the main female pov very relatable. The authors note added so much to the story and I loved the story more thanks to the rich history that was the inspiration to this novel.

Thank you Harper Muse Audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub Week to Joy Callaway and All the Pretty Places! May is the perfect time to read this historical novel that features love of nature, both in manicured Gilded Age gardens and public parks.

It's 1893 and Sadie Fremd is at a crossroads in her young life.
- The Panic of 1893 is jeopardizing the economic stability of her Rye, New York community and her family's landscape nursery that creates elaborate private gardens for the socially elite.
- She, rather than her brothers, has the passion and knowledge to be her father's successor in leading the family business, but it's not proper for a women to assume such responsibilities.
- And she's being pressured to marry to secure the financial stability of the family rather than for love.

Her German immigrant father believes strongly in employing families of new Americans who become almost family to Sadie. So a possible financial crisis for the nursery's customers puts her father and brothers in jeopardy as well as their employees. Her decisions will not only affect the rest of her life but also of many others whom she loves.

Sadie also has great empathy for people who lack access to the health benefits of time in nature and is an early advocate for the creation of public parks. It's hard to imagine a time when public green spaces weren't an essential feature of any community.

I enjoyed this novel, but I gained a greater appreciation when the author's note told me it was inspired by the author's great-great-grandmother. Now I want to read The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, the author's debut novel that was also inspired by her ancestors.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for access to the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell, one of my favorites.

- This was beautifully written and captivating from the first page. I loved the juxtaposition of the beauty of the flowers and gardens and the choices Sadie must make about her future. As someone who always incorrectly says I don’t like historical fiction, I was once again enchanted by this one which is set in New York City during the Gilded Age.

A really wholesome book based in the Gilded age and also has a connection to the authors personal family history (which was really interesting to learn). This was like a warm hug in a book with beautiful descriptions and an amazing story and romance you can get swept away in. I love that this is a more light-hearted historical fiction which can make for an easier read but you can actually also learn a lot. Overall I really enjoyed this and will check out more by this author.

3.5 ☆
I loved the cover art.
I loved the narration
I loved the concept.
But the pacing of the story was a bit slow for me. Even sped up the story itself was slower than I like personally.

The book had a slow start but got progressively better! A good historical fiction book for plant lovers! The narration was nice to listen to.