Another fabulous story from Kerry Barrett. I love how the story is told via two different stories in the same place but from past and present perspectives and join up towards the end of the book. I thought I had the plot worked out early on but I didn’t and was surprised by how it ended. Kerry’s stories are true to life and would make amazing films or tv series!! This book isn’t for everyone as it deals with some hard hitting subjects but she tells the stories incredibly well. I’ve been in a rut for a couple of months but I devoured this book in a couple of days so I’m hoping my mojo is back. I can’t wait to see what Kerry comes up with next.

A wonderful dual timeline book that captivated and entertained me and therefore I just couldn't stop reading it. Set in two periods, one being 1943, the other in the present day. Revolving around a secret in the garden of the now owners, Philippa and her husband Marco, explore what they have found and it is not all roses.

This is quite an easy book to read but you can really immerse yourself in the story and in the characters. It is about family, war, relationships and so much more. It is emotional yet there are happy times as well. It is just one of those wonderful books to read adn I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Just when you think this will be just another dual timeline book with world war 2 history, it throws up an ugly and confronting truth. The Americans were welcomed in England to help fight the war, however it was not all nice and happy and peaceful between the allies at all. When the Americans brought their prejudices with them, it was never going to sit well with the English. Then you have our modern day couple trying to get over not being able to have children finding what appears to be a child's grave in the garden of their new property. They need the story from the past to find their way forward. Very well told.

A very easy book to read! I found for once that I was more interested in the present day story with Philippa than I was Gloria. It covers some really interested themes I wasn’t expecting. Miscarriage, how American soldiers were treated in the UK during the war & Race.
I ended up listening to this & the narrators were very pleasant.
My only criticism was the ending felt very rushed & that it suddenly just tied up in too neat a bow.

An emotional dual timelines story that I enjoyed.
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers HQ Stories for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A dual timeline story, with common themes and setting. Honeyford House. Gloria and Jerome and present day, Phillippa and Marco. Miscarriages and relationships ending in sorrow.

I really loved this book. So many highs and lows! I liked the duo timeline. Gloria was such a forthright young woman not holding back on her opinions and standing up for what she thought was right and just.
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Phillipa, Marco and their friends were the modern day protagonists and their story was intricately woven into the other.

I was quite staggered to read of the White American GIs overt racism towards their black colleagues. You would think they were on opposite sides! I think Kerry's attention to detail is superb.

I must admit I was a bit surprised at the ending but don't want to give anything away

I will look for more of Kerry's books and am sure I will enjoy them just as much.

Philippa and Marco bought a large house overlooking a beautiful garden, where they planned to open a restaurant and rooms. During renovations, they discovered a cherub in their garden. Phillipa immediately felt she had to find out more about it, assuming it was the grave of a small child. This discovery further separated Filippa and Marco, who mourned their lost babies. The investigation of the grave led them to a family who lived there during World War II.

The historical timeline is about Gloria Henry who met a black airman with whom she fell in love with. They experienced a terrible time of injustice.

This dual timeline novel was a joy to read. I loved the moment I connected with the characters. I admired Philippa, and Marco was a person with a soft and wonderful heart.

The author focused on the American GIs stationed in England during the war and their contacts with the locals, but above all, she showed the segregation between ethnic groups of the same troops.

An interesting and engaging story with a beautiful ending.

Omg this was a slow burn book. And it had some very interesting topics. But I do not know why, but it did not keep me captivated
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Set in two time lines this beautiful intriguing story held my interest all the way though.
It’s quite a moving story at times & covers things like prejudice, racism & heartache but love & friendship stand out too.
In 1943 we find Gloria aged 17 who lives with her mother & lost her father early in the war.
American soldiers have moved in to the village living in their homes & nearby bases.
They soon find out how different it is for the black G I ‘s & a lot of the British didn’t agree with how the white Americans treated them.
Trouble soon comes to the forefront in the the village.
In present day we find Phillipa with her husband Marco who recently bought the house Gloria used to live in years ago.
After the upset of trying to have a child & all the miscarriages they suffered they try to start a new life without the family they craved.
The story held me throughout & kept my interest to the last page.

Thank you for an early copy, this book was quite a revelation and you could loose yourself, told from a totally different perspective I really enjoyed it and ca highly recommend.

Despite being set during the war years, this book was more about the social dynamics that shifted when the American GI arrived in England. Not featuring bombing, blitzes and death, Barrett instead has created a narrative that focuses on racism and social divides as a result of different cultures coming together.

To be honest, this was not something I had ever considered about the war and I think this makes Barrett’s narrative refreshing and interesting. The arrival of the American army to help fight the war is considered as a massive boost to resources but this was tainted by the racism that was also presented. Gloria and her family witness how the white American soldiers treated the black soldiers differently – even if they were from the British colonies and were part of the RAF. This shocking behaviour is resisted by Gloria and her Cotswolds community and I enjoyed seeing the locals stand up to some of the more bullish soldiers. They justify their actions because it falls under the American army jurisdiction yet, Gloria and others consider that when on English soil, English equality applies.

As the story progresses, there is a simmering tension that increases and this becomes mirrored by the present day narrative. Philippa has moved into this same Cotswold village with her husband and, learning more about her character, their lives have been tainted by loss and devastation. Their new project marks a turning point in their lives, until a discovery in the wild gardens has Philippa’s husband questioning their actions and Philippa turning to the past to find out more.

This brings the two timeframes together and I found that this did take a while to occur in the story. Barrett takes a while to establish the narrative and it wasn’t until nearly half-way that I started to get an inkling of how the story would progress. However, this didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story because I found the narrative largely sweet to watch unfold – minus the racism, of course.

When truths start to emerge about Gloria’s life and the discovery in Philippa’s garden, I thought the tension was more palpable and this was reflected by my need to keep reading and find out the entire truth. Furthermore, I thought this made the story grow darker towards the conclusion, metaphorically represented by both women’s panic and desperation. Yet, the story has a happy and satisfying conclusion, rather than the tragedy that I thought Barrett was suggesting.

I enjoyed this story so much because of the setting and how different it felt to other historical reads. Once more, I have read about a different aspect to the war and the social dynamics between cultures was not something I had seriously considered before. The determination that Gloria and her community display to ensuring equality was brilliant and I liked seeing them being resistant to the bullish ways of some of the GIs.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A forgotten past. A garden full of secrets. A mystery to be uncovered...

It's 1943 and Gloria Henry has just finished school, returning home to Honeyford House in the sleepy Cotswolds, just as the American GIs are flooding their village. Her friend Patty had joined the Land Army but Gloria still didn't know what she wanted to do.

And then she met Corporal Jerome Scott, one of the American GIs. But he wasn't like the GIs that roamed their village. He wasn't even billeted at the nearby Eaton air base. No, Jerome was black so therefore he was not given the same entitlements or privileges as the white GIs.

But Gloria didn't care. She loved Jerome and he loved her. But it could only end in tears...and it did.

Present day, Honeyford House

After a string of miscarriages, Philippa and Marco have just bought the crumbling ruins that is Honeyford House with dreams of opening a restaurant and a bed and breakfast whilst they lived in the old servant's quarters. It was quite a task they had set themselves but this was to be their new beginning.

As they stood on the terrace overlooking the garden and the woods beyond, Philippa and Marco decided to plant a deluge of bluebells in the woods in memory of their lost babies. And so one day while walking through that very wood, Philippa comes across what appears to be a grave...or a memorial at least.

Suddenly, she is on a mission to uncover the mysteries of Honeyford House and the memorial stone in its garden. But what she finds is a bittersweet tale that was as heartwrenching as it was unexpected.

I love dual timelines, being swept away between the two timelines and following two separate stories until they collide in a cleverly woven tapestry. I thorougy enjoyed this tale, though maybe not as much as "The Missing Wife" but it was still a wonderful read that moves seamlessly between the two timelines.

Overall, this story is captivating and enthralling and a thoroughly delightful read with a satisfying end.

I would like to thank #KerryBarrett, #Netgalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheGardenOfLostSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kerry Barrett

1943.
With her best friend having recently joined the Land Army and her mother lost in grief after the death of her father early in the war, Gloria is lonely. When she finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Jerome, an American soldier stationed in her Cotswolds village, Gloria begins to fall in love. But conflict between the soldiers and the villagers lead to an impossible choice with devastating consequences.

Present day.
After their dreams of starting a family are crushed, Philippa and her husband Marco need a fresh start. Focusing on repairing the crumbling walls and leaking roof of the Cotswolds house they impulsively bought seems easier work than repairing their relationship. When Philippa finds a hidden memorial hidden deep in the garden, the discovery only pushes them further apart. But as Philippa determines to uncover the truth behind the memorial, could the secrets it reveals be the key to finally putting their heartbreak to rest
Great characters in Gloria and Phillipa , usually I prefer reading about one era more than the other , but the author wrote about both in such a way that my enjoyment was equal in both.

Gloria is living in England during WW2, and after the death of her friend she only wants to make her mother happy again. But what she doesn't see coming is a charming African American G.I. called Jerome. On the other hand, in the present timeline, Philippa wants to have a happy life with her husband Marco in the English countryside, with an opening of a restaurant, after many of her stillbirths. But why does her world turn upside down when Vanessa and her grandson Alex enter into their lives?

Having already been familiar with Kerry Barrett's work (The Book of Last Letters was amazing) this book did not disappoint. It was also of a dual timeline, and I felt so hard both for Philippa and Gloria. What is interesting in both stories id the depiction of a woman's position in society and how there are certain responsibilities they should take (which is completely crazy, but oh well, it was the 1940s).

Something refreshing that I read was how the English accepted no nonsense from the racist American soldiers regarding the African American soldiers, and I really liked how Gloria had the courage to stand up not only for herself but also for others. On the other hand, I was impartial to Philippa and her attitude towards Vanessa at one point, because I would have absolutely thought the same thing. A character that I didn't like was Gloria's grandfather, and how his close-minded ideologies didn't let him consider his own granddaughter's happiness. But, a personal favorite character of mine was definitely Alex, because he deserves all the love in the world, as every child does.

The book is coming out on January 18th, so don't miss it! Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for sending me an arc copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The way the two women’s lives were woven together was very clever and the characters were believable and likeable. This was a story I could not put down and was sorry when it ended. Thoroughly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book.
It’s a beautifully, well written and intriguing story set in the Cotswolds at Honeyford House. It’s about friendship, racism, prejudice, heartache, healing and love. It’s very moving and sad at times but also has happy moments too.
The story is told in a dual timeline from the two main characters. Gloria in 1943 and Phillippa in the present day, making the story flow and easy to follow.
Overall, a captivating WW2 historical read. I couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend.
With thanks to #NetGallery and @HQStories for an eARC of #TheGardenOfLostSecrets in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 18 January 2024.

Two stories set nearly 50 years apart but joined together by a beautiful home, Honeyfold House, and its garden.
I found the alternating chapters helped-to make the stories flow and also increase interest in both stories.
The characters had to live with many obstacles and prejudices’ and these were dealt with compassionately.
Overall, this was an interesting story and I shall be looking forward to reading more by this author.

This was an absolute joy to read. The dual timeline worked beautifully. Heartbreak and love in equal measure made it a real page turner. I couldn't wait to find out what the secret memorial was all about which made for a captivating read. This was an excellent read.

THE GARDEN OF LOST SECRETS is a dual timeline story, featuring Gloria in 1943 and Phillipa in the current day. The connection between them is the house Phillipa is living in. Told from both perspectives, it is easy to follow the storylines until they connect at the end.

This was an easy-to-read and well-researched story, giving details I was unaware of at the time the Americans came over. That part was hard reading, I'll be honest. Even knowing the history of it, this was more personal. Mind you, Phillipa doesn't have it easy in her time period either. She and Marco are recovering from their own losses and it does affect them.

I loved the twist at the end and it had me finishing this book with a smile on my face. A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Absolutely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 12, 2024